253 Illegal Aliens Nabbed Within an Hour at Southern Border as CBP Revived ‘Catch and Release’ Policy

By Dana Cruz First Posted: Feb 06, 2021 05:16 AM EST

(Photo : Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images)
Border Wall

A total of 253 illegal aliens were apprehended by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) within an hour at the southern U.S. border on Thursday night.

CBP said they were screening 166 illegal aliens at the border near Mission, Texas, when another group of 87 people turned themselves in.

A statement obtained by Fox News said the group of illegal aliens caught at the border mainly consisted of unaccompanied minors and families that came with human smugglers.

"Even with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, human smugglers continue to try these brazen attempts with zero regard for the lives they endanger nor to the health of the citizens of our great nation," the press release read.

The agency then promised to "continue to safeguard the nation and community against these criminal elements."

The news of the arrests came after reports of thousands of immigrants seeking entry to the U.S. through the southern border.

Many point their motivation to move into the country at the Biden administration's policies that would liberalize the nation's immigration system. Some of the policies put forward by President Joe Biden were creating a pathway to citizenship or amnesty.

In recent apprehensions of migrants from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, poverty was seen as a possible cause for departure.

COVID-19 Restrictions Force Border Facilities Past Holding Capacity

Given the restrictions that came with the pandemic and border control, people were getting stuck in facilities by the U.S. border.

"CBP has seen a steady increase in border encounters since April 2020, which, aggravated by COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines, has caused some facilities to reach maximum safe holding capacity," CBP Public Affairs Officer Rod Kise said.

As the agency is still working on processing the migrants, the Biden administration restored policy on border security.

Biden Administration's CBP Revives 'Catch and Release' Policy at Border

The administration recently revived the "catch and release policy" repealed under the Trump administration. According to New York Post, Biden signed an executive order on the controversial practice which allows undocumented migrants to stay in the U.S. while waiting for the immigration proceedings.

Another Fox News article pointed out that this is the first time since 2019 that the CBP was compelled to revive the "catch and release" policy."

The agency said three factors led to this decision: increased migrant traffic-specifically those from Central America and unaccompanied children; Mexico's refusal to accept families with children younger than 12 years old to some migrant camps; and COVID-19 restrictions.

Under the executive action, the Border Patrol can only hold undocumented illegal aliens crossing the border for up to 72 hours.

Migrants have been flooding the border in recent months, leading to the U.S. increasing capacity for unaccompanied minors at a shelter in Carizzo Springs. This influx caused some health and safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Federal officers are not doing any COVID testing for immigrants coming across," McAllen City Manager Roy Rodriguez said, adding that test kits were sent to them after raising the concern to the Texas governor's office.