Illegal Migrants, Including Minors, Still Cross Into The U.S. Through The Rio Grande Valley
As the media focuses on the massive groups of illegal immigrants crossing into the country through areas like Eagle Pass and Yuma, the RGV sector is still seeing crossings.
Photo Credit: Juan Mendoza
The Rio Grande Valley, consisting of locations such as Roma and McAllen, Texas, saw illegal immigrants from Central & South America cross frequently throughout the night on Friday, September 30th.
On-the-ground reporting showed border patrol response at the beginning of the night in Hidalgo, Texas as they apprehended a group of 10 illegal immigrants that crossed from Reynosa.
Roma, Texas is another location in the Rio Grande Valley that has seen increased illegal migrant crossings since the Biden administration took office in January 2021. Cartels in control of Miguel Aleman, Mexico take the migrants to the river, where they get crossed with rafts into the United States.
Unaccompanied minors were seen crossing into the small city through private land close to the river. The agent reported that there were even more illegal immigrants crossing at that site by the river. Last year this location would see up to 1,000 illegal immigrants passing through per night.
Another location nearby also saw 2 groups of illegal immigrants cross since it was close to the river.
The location in Roma also showed signs of human smuggling with bracelets showing people being delivered by being labeled “entregas,” meaning deliveries in Spanish.
As areas such as Eagle Pass, Texas and Yuma, Arizona have experienced a massive increase of illegal immigration in the 2022 fiscal year, the Rio Grande Valley, which was a major human smuggling hotspot in 2021, is still seeing high amounts of illegal crossings. Customs and Border Protections fiscal data shows that the Rio Grande Valley has seen the most encounters of all the regions, with 440,423 illegal immigrants reported in the 2022 fiscal year and August fiscal data reporting 27,253 encounters.