U.S. Authorities Release Migrants from Mexico Border Without Paperwork
Several migrants are being released from the Mexico border into the United States without paperwork and sometimes court notices. The movement from the U.S. authorities on the border is deemed to be time-saving yet confusing the asylum seekers with its sudden implementation, according to an Associated Press report.
The said movement from the authorities lessens the number of people who need to stay in the border facilities which are already overcrowded. It can be remembered that on Monday, temporary Customs and Border facility located in Donna, Texas housed about 5,700 asylum seekers. A great number has surpassed the supposed 250 maximum capacity of the detention center.
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Migrants Without Paperwork From the Mexico Border
The report of the migrants without the said paperwork follows the significant increase in the number of migrants crossing the borders, specifically migrant families and unaccompanied children, according to an Al Jazeera report.
Apart from the paperwork that some migrants were not issued, a court appearance notice is also not issued at times. According to Chris Cabrera, a spokesman from the National Border Patrol Council, preparing a court notice can consume an hour to 90 minutes. The National Border Patrol Council is a union that represents the agents.
What happens is, families are released with booking records and only parents are photographed and fingerprinted, according to WDSU6. The Border Patrol spearheaded the unusual practice in Texas Rio Grande Valley. The area is known to have the highest significant increase in terms of the numbers of migrant families and unaccompanied migrants who are children.
Meanwhile, The Customs and Border Protection echoed what Cabrera said, arguing that preparing even one of the said documents consume hours.
The migrants from the Mexico border will still be issued notices to appear in court. However, it will be done when they had their 60-day check-ins with the ICE.
"Honestly, from my end, I think it's [the non-issuance of the court notices and paperwork] good," said Cabrera. Cabrera explained that the movement has given their people less paperwork to work on. Cabrera is posted in the Rio Grande valley.
Migrants' Other Options
Although the adult migrants were instructed to report with ICE within 60 days, some of them still did not receive their documents. These include migrants from the Mexico border who are seeking refuge at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. About 100 migrants released by the U.S. authorities are arriving in the church to take a rest and sleep.
"We hope they can help with our papers so that we can move on, work, and send [money] to my family," said Carlos Enrique Linga, one of the migrants waiting without documents at the shelter for a week. Linga's wife is still in his homeland, Guatemala, along with his other children.
Immigration attorneys, on the other hand, advise migrants from the Mexico border to apply for a different route to asylum. The lawyers furthered that the migrants would meet with a Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum officer in a different environment, if they are denied, the migrants can still appeal to the judge. The said method is only applicable to migrants who are already inside the United States.
WATCH: CBP releasing some migrant families without "notices to appear" in immigration court to save time - from CBS This Morning
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