by Eric Lendrum
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed on Thursday the presence of over 10,000 illegal aliens under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, who are all simply waiting for immigration officials to take them into custody, according to ABC News.
“The Border Patrol is increasing its manpower in the Del Rio Sector,” the CBP said in a statement, “and coordinating efforts within DHS and other relevant federal, state, and local partners to immediately address the current level of migrant encounters, and to facilitate a safe, humane, and orderly process.”
“To prevent injuries from heat-related illness,” the statement continued, “the shaded area underneath Del Rio International Bridge is serving as a temporary staging site while migrants wait to be taken into USBP custody.” The CBP also confirmed that they would be actively providing “drinking water, towels, and portable toilets” to the illegal aliens while they wait.
Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano was critical of the federal response on Twitter, pointing out that in a single day, Del Rio went from 8,200 illegals hiding under the bridge to 10,503. Lozano then asked if Joe Biden had even been briefed on the situation yet.
On top of the pledged aid for illegals in Del Rio, the Biden Administration announced that it would be cracking down on unauthorized aerial filming of the unfolding scene under the bridge. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Thursday that it would be issuing a two-week restriction on any drones flying around the area of the bridge to document the growing crisis there. The ban included drones for news networks such as Fox News.
In response to widespread criticism of the decision as an attempt to cover up the incident, the FAA claimed that the temporary flight restriction was implemented “due to drones interfering with law enforcement flights on the border,” despite presenting no examples of this occurring.
Both the aid provisions for illegals and the ban on aerial surveillance drew widespread condemnation of the Biden Administration from Republicans. Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) declared it to be “a crisis that is unfolding…a man-made crisis.” Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said that “the FAA better be ready to explain to Congress why they’re suddenly blocking the media from covering Biden’s border crisis.”
Former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, who served in the Trump Administration, called it “absolutely insane” that local officials were forced to resort to “pleading with the Administration for help along the border.”
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Eric Lendrum reports for American Greatness.
Photo “Illegal Aliens Under Bride” by Ted Cruz.
