Transporting migrants out of a city is not cheap. El Paso, Texas is seeing this firsthand as the city is spending millions busing them out to sanctuary cities and other destinations.
The city isn’t receiving Governor Abbott's money either. He is spending his own money busing migrants to sanctuary cities in Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia. El Paso is spending its own money.
According to El Paso’s Chief Financial Officer, Robert Cortinas, since July the city has spent $9 million transporting migrants to other destinations at a media conference on Tuesday. So far, El Paso has received $2 million from FEMA and $3.8 million is expected to reimburse the city.
Cortinas has served in this position since April 2018 when he was picked as the Chief Financial Officer after spending 11 years working for the city.
With the end of Title 42 on December 21, it is likely the number of migrants that Customs and Border Patrol encounter will increase. Up to this point according to the El Paso website, the city has transported 13,972 migrants to New York City and Chicago - 10,683 to New York City and $3,289 to Chicago.
Border Patrol is encountering about 1,000 to 2,000 migrants a day and this is before title 42 ends. Many migrants are waiting in Juarez, Mexico for the December date before they try crossing the border even though some have already made the attempt.
El Paso Mayor may have to give in and finally declare a State of Emergency.
Texas Government Code 418 gives the County Judge the authority to declare a State of Emergency. A disaster is defined as:
… the occurrence or imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property resulting from any natural or man-made cause, including fire, flood, earthquake, wind, storm, wave action, oil spill or other water contamination, volcanic activity, epidemic, air contamination, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, riot, hostile military or paramilitary action, other public calamity requiring emergency action, or energy emergency.
Last year, Del Rio declared a state of emergency as the city was overwhelmed with the number of migrants that crossed the Texas-Mexican border.
More details are provided in this video:
Do you think El Paso should declare a State of Emergency?
Comments / 24