As many as 10,000 migrants, many from Haiti, are in a makeshift camp under a bridge that connects the U.S. and Mexico near Del Rio, Texas. The number is growing, according to officials on the ground.
The top Border Patrol union official in the Del Rio Sector, Jon Anfinsen, told The Washington Post, "We're scrambling to bring every resource we can, but it's a logistical nightmare."
"We're pulling agents from across the country to help, but they're not going to be there today, and we're just trying to keep heads above water," he said.
According to Reuters, the conditions under the bridge are “squalid,” with food and water reportedly scarce as temperatures soar.
The Border Patrol says it is increasing staffing in the area and providing drinking water, towels and portable toilets to the migrants while they wait to be taken to U.S. processing facilities.
Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano, a Democrat, tweeted Thursday he counted more than 10,000 migrants and had asked for federal help, noting a steady increase in the number of migrants under the bridge.
"President Biden, have you been briefed on the ongoing crisis yet?" he wrote. ]
The situation presents another border-related challenge for President Joe Biden, who has rolled back some of former President Donald Trump’s restrictive immigration policies.
The U.S.-Mexico border has seen unprecedented numbers of migrants attempting to cross into the United States so far this year.
More than 195,000 migrants were arrested at the Mexican border in August, according to government data released on Wednesday.
The Biden administration has blamed Trump for the migrant surge, saying he reduced legal immigration paths.
Some information in this report came from Reuters.
