At least some of the migrants allegedly involved in a riot that overwhelmed the National Guard at Texas’ southern border were released by an El Paso judge on Easter Sunday, according to a report.
Presiding Judge Humberto Acosta ruled at a bail hearing to release immigrants charged with “participating in a riot” following the shocking riots along the Rio Grande 10 days ago. did. According to the El Paso Times.
According to the newspaper, Acosta decided to release the defendants after arguing that the El Paso District Attorney’s Office was not ready to proceed with detention hearings for each of the defendants.
“The court’s decision is that all rioters will be released on their own recognizance,” Acosta said in a virtual press conference, according to the newspaper.
Shocking footage captured by the newspaper showed authorities in Texas arresting migrants on riot-related charges in connection with a violent scene in which razor wire was torn off and a security guard was knocked over.
Most of the border crossers were made up of adult males, vastly outnumbering agents who were desperately trying to group them in preparation for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detention on March 21. Ta.
During the tense confrontation, hordes of migrants were able to scramble to border gates in hopes that Border Patrol agents on the other side would detain them and allow them into the United States. Some security personnel sustained minor injuries.
Some immigrants have been charged with assaulting public servants and mischief, the El Paso Times reported, and it remains to be seen whether the judge’s Sunday ruling applied to those defendants or whether they were charged with “participating in a riot.” It is unclear whether this applies only to defendants who have been indicted.
Court officials also said migrants will continue to be detained if their release is prevented by federal immigration authorities, the newspaper reported.
Assistant District Attorney Ashley M. Martinez on Sunday requested a hearing at a later date. However, Mr. Acosta rejected the request.
It is also unclear how many migrants were charged with “participating in a riot,” a misdemeanor.
Judge Acosta said “several hundred arrestees” were entitled to individual detention hearings within 48 hours, the newspaper reported.
“So if the prosecutor’s office says they’re not ready to be released, what we’re going to do is release all of these individuals on their own recognizance,” Acosta said in her statement. He is said to have told
An official told the Post last week that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has more than 200 immigrants in custody that authorities hope to arrest and prosecute.
But federal authorities were less cooperative than the Border Patrol.
Another hearing is scheduled for Monday, according to the El Paso Times.
The newspaper has reached out to the district attorney’s office for comment.
The Biden administration is trying to block Texas’ efforts to use the National Guard and state authorities to arrest and deport immigrants who enter the country illegally.
Last week, a federal appeals court blocked Texas from proceeding with the case.
In early March, the law briefly went into effect after a divided U.S. Supreme Court allowed the bill to proceed pending legal challenges.
