Manuel Mello III, the fire chief of Eagle Pass Fire Department, recently testified before Chairman Jim Jordan and the United States House Judiciary Committee. In his testimony, Mello advocated for reform in border policy to prevent immigrant deaths and alleviate the burden on his department's members.
According to Chief Mello, "I come to you from a place most recently identified as "the epicenter of the border crisis", hopefully, with these facts presented today both sides will work together to reform the Immigration laws and help bring some normalcy back to our small community, so we don’t have to see or hear of another migrant death along the border."
The Eagle Pass Fire Department is located in Eagle Pass, Texas, 140 miles southwest of San Antonio. The city shares a border with Piedras Negras, Coahuila Mexico, across the Rio Grande River. The shared riverine border is approximately 120 miles long. The department serves as the primary 911 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responder in this community.
In his testimony, Mello highlighted the increased strain on his department due to an open border policy. He revealed that prior to 2020, the Eagle Pass Fire Department received approximately 7,500 EMS calls per year and experienced 8-12 drownings annually. However, in 2023 alone, they received over 9,000 EMS calls and recorded 43 migrant drownings in the river. Mello stated that "In my 32 years of service, I had not experienced this many calls."
Mello further discussed how the sudden influx of immigrants has impacted his department. He noted that despite adding a fifth ambulance dedicated solely for migrant calls, other vehicles intended for city and county use are often utilized. "On occasion," he said "all ambulances will be out in different areas of the community, and we must resort to a tier response either on a fire truck or a pickup truck if we have personnel available." Mello also mentioned that the vehicles are wearing down faster due to poor road conditions near the river.
Another consequence of increased immigration, according to Mello, is the frequent overcrowding of local emergency rooms. Limited bed availability leads to delays, with some patients waiting between 20-30 minutes, while others face wait times exceeding two hours due to the presence of undocumented migrants. Closures by Customs Border Patrol (CBP) during migrant surges have also negatively impacted Eagle Pass's economy, causing a loss of around half a million dollars in November alone. Continued challenges may necessitate hiring freezes, equipment purchase halts, and project delays.
Mello emphasized what he believes is the most significant impact of the current border crisis. "We are a young Fire Department," he said "excluding me, I have personnel that range in ages from 20-45 years old, most have small children and can relate with the undocumented children dying on our riverbanks. The mental impact will take a long time to heal if we do not get help for them soon which will come at a cost to the city, a cost that was not expected or budgeted."
The congressional hearing page reveals that Mello has served the Eagle Pass Fire Department for 35 years and has held his position as chief for nearly 10 years. In May 2023, Mello was honored for his commitment to the community of Eagle Pass by the Texas House of Representatives.
