Border Patrol agents in California’s Imperial Beach area reported a hectic night last weekend that saw 290 illegal immigrants arrested in a 13-hour period.
Imperial Beach Station makes only six miles from the border.
Agents said the chaos began around 7pm on Friday when they spotted a group of 90 migrants in an area they call Goat Canyon.
As agents rounded up this first group, another group of 56 people stumbled upon what is known as the South Levee three miles to the east.
Later that night, agents spotted another group of 114 people near South Levee, and as they secured that group, another 30 people came in through Goat Canyon.
Border Police said at least 35 different nationalities are part of the mass of people: Afghanistan, Angola, Belize, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia , Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Mali, Mauritania, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Romania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Turkey, Vietnam and Yemen.
Officials announced the chaos in a news release Tuesday, just as Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was testifying before Congress that the border is safe — at least by his own definition.
“I define it as maximizing the resources we have to achieve the most effective outcomes. And we actually do,” he said.
Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, said that was a false standard.
“I understand your answer that you’re trying, but I’m not asking about your effort. I’m asking about the results,” he said.
Mr Mayorkas then pointed to the 1.4 million illegal frontier workers who were expelled under the Title 42 pandemic policy in fiscal year 2022. He said that was a record.
“Are you aware that our focus is on enforcing our laws to achieve southern border security?” he said.
Mr. Kennedy was not reassured.
“I know you’re focused,” he said. “But you are unsuccessful.”
Source : www.washingtontimes.com