With just two weeks until the presidential election, Border Patrol agents are furious that the Biden-Harris administration is working overtime to hide the illegal immigration problem from public view.
ICE was ordered to accelerate deportations. And while Border Patrol agents are sending migrants from San Diego by bus and plane, the number of migrants to San Diego is still double what it was when President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office, Homeland Security said. A Ministry of Security official told the Post.
They are being sent to border towns in Texas and Arizona, where there are far fewer immigrants.
San Diego County Border Patrol Superintendent Jim Desmond criticized the move as a “blatant attempt by the Biden-Harris administration to protect its image ahead of the election.”
Desmond said “numerous buses” are sent to Yuma, Ariz., and “three to four planes” fly to McAllen, Texas, each week.
He sounded the alarm on X policy, writing, “This is not about protecting the Fed's borders, it's about optics.”
The administration has for months touted a decline in illegal border crossings following new asylum restrictions, which are essentially a rehash of Trump administration policies.
But the San Diego area of Southern California remains under fire. That's partly because the Post previously reported that authorities should release more than 100 migrants, making it more likely that migrants will circumvent the rules and remain in the country. . Countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.
Immigrants from these countries are more difficult to deport because their home governments do not readily accept deportation flights.
Border Patrol detained more than 1,200 illegal immigrants in a single day last week at a San Diego immigration detention facility meant to hold just 1,000 people, bringing the Border Patrol center to 122% capacity, Homeland Security sources said. said.
Earlier this summer, the facility's occupancy rate was more than 150%.
Facilities in Texas' Rio Grande Valley are at just 19% capacity after Gov. Greg Abbott instituted tough measures to deter illegal crossers. In Yuma, Arizona, facilities are at 51% occupancy, according to Border Patrol sources.
Buses and planes have been operating for several months, but now their frequency is increasing. The number of migrants being released after leaving the country is also increasing.
Officials said the move was to prevent immigration authorities from releasing migrants onto San Diego streets because local nonprofits are also at capacity.
“They don't want to release it on the streets because it looks negative for Kamala Harris. All the NGOs in San Diego are at capacity and can't accommodate any more,” the official said.
Yuma County Supervisor Jonathan Lines told the Post that the Biden-Harris administration “continues to move people to minimize open border situations” as the election approaches.
“The border is not a priority for this administration. Women and children are suffering at the hands of cartels. This is a border security crisis of epic proportions. It has evolved into a humanitarian crisis across the United States,” Rein said. said.
More than 38,000 immigrants were being held in ICE facilities across the country as of Monday, officials said, and the agency is also facing new pressure from the Biden-Harris administration to cover up the problem. said.
“The Biden administration is putting pressure on ICE to step up removals in the days leading up to Election Day. The administration wants to send a message to voters that it is strong and serious about border security and immigration enforcement.” said the person.
The number of encounters with illegal immigrants crossing the southern border decreased from 250,000 in December 2023 to 54,000 in September. In total, more than 10 million immigrants have crossed the border illegally under the Biden-Harris administration.
In addition, approximately 1,500 immigrants are permitted to enter the United States each day using the CBP One phone app, and another 30,000 immigrants per month enter the United States directly by air as a result of another program. is allowed.
