DEL RIO, TX – Border Patrol agents in the Del Rio Sector of Texas have apprehended 21 individuals with prior convictions for sex crimes involving minors, all within less than two months.
This information was shared by Acting Chief Patrol Agent Juan G. Bernal on Sunday. Each of the apprehended individuals was attempting unauthorized entry into the U.S., and all have been previously convicted for various sex offenses involving children, according to Bernal.
Simultaneously, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced a temporary halt and decrease in vehicle processing at entry ports in Texas and Arizona. This action responds to the recent spike in encounters with migrants along the southern border.
Several sectors along the U.S.-Mexico border have reported a significant uptick in migrant encounters in the past week.
In a recent interview, Chad Wolf, the former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Donald Trump, emphasized the need for policy reforms over increased spending to address the challenges at the U.S. southern border. Wolf’s comments come amidst a contentious debate over President Joe Biden’s proposed $105 billion spending package, which includes approximately $14 billion for enhancing border security.
President Biden’s proposed spending package has met skepticism from several Republican lawmakers. They are particularly concerned about the allocation of funds for border security, which is tied to other unrelated expenditures, such as the war in Ukraine and security funding for Israel. Some politicians have proposed separating the funding for Israeli security, an issue with broad agreement, from the more divisive aspects of the president’s request.
The former DHS secretary also raised concerns about national security, noting the increased risk of terrorists or individuals from countries of concern, like China and Iran, entering the U.S. through the southern border. This concern was underscored by the recent report from House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.), revealing a significant increase in the apprehension of Chinese nationals at the border.
The ongoing negotiations over President Biden’s spending request face a challenging path, with a Democrat-controlled Senate and the president himself needing to be convinced. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) have expressed their reservations about the Republican strategy of linking border security to Ukraine aid. Conversely, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has emphasized that the negotiations are about border security in exchange for Ukraine aid, not Democratic immigration priorities.
In addition, the Tucson Sector of the Border Patrol announced on Sunday a temporary pause in its social media activities as the agency manages the surge of migrants at the border.