Hundreds of migrants rush troops at US-Mexico border, expert fears El Paso repeat

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The surge of hundreds of migrants that overwhelmed the Texas National Guard at the U.S.-Mexico border Thursday continues to stir feelings on all sides of the immigration debate.

The Border Patrol said they detained 425 migrants from the incident, with one migrant being arrested on suspicion of assaulting a national guardsman.

Former Border Patrol sector Chief in El Paso Dr. Victor Manjarrez Jr. warned this might not be an isolated incident for El Paso.

“Just, you know, if we saw yesterday was kind of like a beta case," Manjarrez Jr. said. "'What if we tried that in a different part?' 'What would happen?' and I think we're gonna see that more. And then we're going to see that more in places like El Paso."

Border Patrol Agent Refugio Corrales said concern is warranted, but the agency has matters under control.

"I mean, our focus is mainly here. I mean, it voids a lot of holes in our border with our manpower more focused in this area at the time. So the personnel is always here, for something like yesterday that happened for us to efficiently take care of the problem," Corrales said.

Governor Greg Abbott announced on Friday that more razor wire is being installed and more Texas National Guards soldiers are being sent to the border.

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar said Abbott's approach to the border only worsens things:

[Texas National Guard soldiers] don't have the resources. They don't have the training. They don't have the experience that the United States border patrol has. They've created their own makeshift sort of a new border. Yesterday should be an example of the fact there is no way the state of Texas is qualified or prepared to be a brand new immigration force.

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