amna: Cities on the u.s.-mexico
border are preparing for
Thursday's lifting of title 42,
a pandemic-era policy that
allowed officials to turn away
more than 2.7 million migrants
over the last three years.
Ahead of that rule change, el
Paso has declared a state of
emergency.
Local leaders estimate nearly
2,500 people are already in the
city waiting to travel to other
parts of the country.
Shelters are full, leading many
to sleep in makeshift
encampments on the streets.
Joining me now is the mayor of
El Paso,
Oscar leeser.
Welcome to the newshour.
Thank you for joining us.
You are three days away from
title 42 ending.
What are you expecting to see in
El Paso in terms of an increase
in the number of people
arriving?
Are you compared to manage that?
Mayor leeser: I keep telling
everyone that we need to prepare
for the unknown.
The unknown is what number is
going to be coming over on may
12 after title 42 has been
lifted.
I did travel to Mexico last week
and went to the shelters and
looked at the shelters.
The shelters were empty.
The second largest shelter over
there, there were only 20 people
in there.
We went out and looked at the
streets.
Sure enough, there are a lot of
them, probably 10,000 to 12,000
people waiting to come in.
They don't want to go in the
shelters because they don't want
to miss the opportunity to come
into the U.S. Prior to title 42
expiring.
We were told there is a caravan
of another 3500 coming that will
arrive prior to title 42
expiring.
They are all coming with the
understanding that if they do
get in, but -- that they will
have political asylum.
The people that have charged
them and helped them to get over
here, they are giving the
information that is not
accurate.
Amna: You have declared a state
of emergency.
What does that allow you to do
differently?
What else do you need that you
don't have now in the way of
support?
Mayor leeser: The state of
emergency gives us the
opportunity to do temporary
shelter.
We opened up two schools that
have been closed for a while.
We were able to get the two
schools to be temporary
shelters.
That is to help the people that
have gone through the proper
immigration system and help them
get to the next destination,
give them temporary sheltering.
They will be in the shelter
between 24 to 72 hours.
That will help us to activate
our civic center, and then use
hotels to help families and
young kids.
It is something important, one
of the things we do here is make
sure we treat people the way we
want to be treated, and make
sure we help our asylum-seekers
that have gone through the
immigration process unite with
their family, their friends, and
be able to go to the destination
of their choice.
The reason we are able to do
that is once they get an a
number, when they go through the
immigration process, than they
are free to go where they want
to go.
.
We want to make sure we help
decompress the system and help
people move forward.
Amna: Are you coordinating with
other mayors in other cities?
As you mentioned, we know most
people who come through El Paso
or other border cities are
trying to make their way
somewhere else.
Have other cities reached out,
saying, we can help you?
Mayor leeser: One of the things
we do have office of emergency
management, and they are working
with ngos across the united
States.
That's correct, they are not
coming to El Paso, Texas.
They are coming to the united
States.
That is one of the things we
want to work with, additional
ngos, additional cities, to make
sure they can help us and we can
help our asylum-seekers.
Amna: President Biden made the
decision to send 1500 U.S.
Troops to the border in support
of operations.
We hear from a number of
Republicans, Greg Abbott among
them, that argue the U.S. Has
what they call open borders.
That the administration has not
done enough to deter migration,
and to enforce border security.
Do you agree with that?
Mayor leeser: No, the borders
are closed today, they will
continue to be closed after
title 42 expires.
It is important to know that we
already have to any 500 military
troops that are within the
southern border.
They are sending additional 1500
to help.
Not to administer the
immigration laws, but to help
with administrative.
To help the border patrol do
their job.
It is important to know that
they are not here to implement
immigration law, but to support
the current border patrol.
There is not enough to be able
to do what they need to do.
It will help them do a lot of
the administrative work that
needs to be done.
Amna: We reported earlier on the
car crash in Brownsville.
And no officials are looking for
a motive.
There are reports that the man
who drove his SUV into a crowd
of recently arrived migrants
there had a shouted
anti-immigrant remarks.
We have not able to confirm
that.
I'm curious because they saw the
same increase in migration as
you have been seeing in your
city.
Are you concerned about
something similar happening
there, or about this vulnerable
population that is sleeping in
the streets of your city?
Mayor leeser: Number one, our
hearts go out to the people who
lost their lives and their
families.
Number two, part of that, we had
already closed some of the
streets to make sure the
asylum-seekers were protected in
our community is protected.
We have closed the streets.
We will continue to close
streets as needed.
One of the things that is
important to us, that we do
protect asylum-seekers, but also
make sure our communities stay
protected.
Amna: You were born in Mexico.
I don't know if most people know
that.
You moved to the U.S. As a
child.
You are the first elected mayor
in El Paso history born outside
of the U.S.
You know very well the unique
nature of border communities.
I wonder when you step back and
look at how we are talking about
this moment, how we are facing
migration increases across the
U.S. Southern border, how you
view this conversation as it is
unfolding?
Mayor leeser: I view it the same
way I think a lot of people view
it.
We have a job to do as a Barda
community.
As a hoarder community, we have
responsibilities to work with
the federal government.
Secretary mallorca's, president
Biden, they have worked close
with us to make sure we have the
resources.
They have given us funding, they
continue to be able to provide a
service.
That has been important.
As a border community, we have a
responsibility.
I look forward to continuing to
make sure we do the right thing.
Again, not only for our
asylum-seekers, but also the
community of El Paso, which
public safety has always been
our number one priority.
Amna: That is the mayor of el
Paso, Oscar leeser, thank you
for your time.
We appreciate it.
Please come back soon.
Mayor leeser: Thank you.
You have a wonderful day, ma'am.
♪♪