Hundreds of migrants wait in the sun outside the gates of the border fence separating Mexico from the United States. that the authorities deport them or prosecute them two days after Section 42, the rule allowing hot removal on public health grounds, expires.

Gate 42, located about 11 miles east of El Paso, opens at noon but only briefly to let some border guards through.

Beyond the fifteen foot high metal fence With no shade to hide from the sun, except for plastic, half a thousand migrants wait farther than the irons, but closer to the Rio Grande, which marks the border between the two countries.

They have surrendered to border patrols, and the US authorities now have to decide whether to remove them on the Section 42 express route or accept that they begin the asylum application process.

The agent of these patrols, on condition of anonymity, assures that The number of daily arrests or “meetings” in May was 1,150 per day, lower than the April average. which, according to the patrolman, amounted to about 1,400 border arrests per day.

A few meters from the gate, an official explains that those trying to enter are changing places, while those trying to cross the border are moving east.

“Now we are preparing for the abolition of Section 42,” he stressed, adding that increase the capacity of processing centers in El Paso and that they hope to receive new premises with a capacity of 1,000 people next June.

‘Significant’ increase in migrants expected

Although he did not provide data on the number of people who, according to their estimates, will try to cross the border. The United States says it is ready to “see a significant increase in these numbers.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott yesterday announced the dispatch of the National Guard Special Forces, and today he posted on his Twitter account a photo of members of the state security forces fortifying the border with an accordion.

Not far from there, a helicopter flies over the border line, helping in border supervision.

The Border Patrol has digitized the entire process of registering new arrivals and is using facial recognition technology that can identify anyone who has been registered in the past six years, the agent said.

“The border is not open. If you do not enter through the ports of entry, you are entering the country illegally and therefore you are subject to consequences,” he warns as a message to those who are looking for a better life in the United States.

In addition, he warned of the conditions that those who attempt to cross the border will have to face, such as temperatures that are in the 30s Celsius today, will soon exceed 37, or the fact that water will be released through the U.S. canal that runs through parallel to the border, making it very difficult to cross.

Many undocumented migrants surrender

Meanwhile in El Paso, dozens of migrants who had camped near the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus surrendered to border guards today at facilities located downtown near Paso del Paso. border bridge North.

They made this decision after official sources assured that the border guards planned to conduct a special operation to detain migrants in El Paso to be able to repatriate those who cannot prove that they have been prosecuted and released.

As early as this morning, authorities distributed pamphlets to migrants camped in downtown El Paso asking them to surrender to border patrols, sparking rumors, fear and anxiety among them.

“You must surrender at the nearest border post,” the note said, ending with an assurance that “at this point you will be processed by CBP officers and directed to the correct immigration route.”

(EFE. Jorge Fuentelsas)