El Paso: Immigrants Push Past Guards, Tears Down and Rush the Border Fence

Reporters for the NY Post were at the border in El Paso today when a group of between 100 and 300 people came across the border from Mexico and tore down some fencing before pushing past members of the Texas National Guard and rushing the border wall.

The Post witnessed around 600 migrants amassed at the international border on the Mexican side, who the Texas National Guard were attempting to push back in small groups amid a ‘spring surge’ of migrants arriving to the southern border hoping to get asylum in the US...
A group of men with hoodies, gloves and winter jackets then pull the fencing away as a group of five guards form a defensive position to fill the gap.
Some migrants can be seen putting their hands up in surrender in the video, but seconds later, others scramble through, knocking the guards out of the way.

Some people are describing this as a riot. Here's what it looked like.

This is the moment when TX National Guard became overrun by migrants rioting to get across the border here in El Paso today

We were there and saw it all happen. Absolute chaos here. pic.twitter.com/VN6Kf663ie— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) March 21, 2024

This appears to be video shot from the Mexican side of the border filmed by a Mexican journalist. I'm not sure if this is before or after the clip above.

Hundreds of migrants were pushed south of the concertina wire in the middle of the night by Texas National Guard. Hours later they again breached the concertina and made a rush for the border wall in El Paso, Texas. #Border #Texas pic.twitter.com/d4sZib29BI— J. Omar Ornelas (@fotornelas) March 21, 2024

So what happened next? The NY Post reported the migrants were pushed back to Mexico, but Gov. Abbott posted on X that he instructed DPS to arrest the immigrants involved.

About the surge of illegal immigrants in El Paso:

The TX National Guard & Dept. of Public Safety quickly regained control & are redoubling the razor wire barriers.

DPS is instructed to arrest every illegal immigrant involved for criminal trespass & destruction of property.— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 21, 2024

Gov. Abbott also released this statement to the media:

The surge today in El Paso is the direct result of the unsustainable chaos President Biden has unleashed on the border. The Texas Military Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety quickly gained control of situation and are working to repair the damage. These illegal immigrants committed crimes in Texas, and the Department of Public Safety is under instruction to arrest every illegal immigrant involved for committing criminal trespass and destruction of property.

Fox News reported tonight that at least one person was arrested.

WATCH: “Chaos at the border” — Fox News’ @BretBaier leads off tonight’s Special Report with today’s stampede by 300 migrants in El Paso with a live report from @foymeetsworld pic.twitter.com/AjoWYaFflW— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) March 21, 2024

Here's some video shot by a local news channel showing an arrest being made by the Texas National Guard. They have one guy down on the ground as his wife/girlfriend tries to argue with them.

But that may have been the exception to the rule. CNN arrived several hours after the incident and they saw the migrants being taken in by the US Border Patrol to be processed. That video isn't available for embedding but you can watch it here.

The big story here is not just what happened today but the way in which it will impact the ongoing political fortunes of President Biden. His case to America has been that he is managing this problem but you wouldn't know it from this clip. This looks a lot more like the chaos that Republicans have been warning about.

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