Immigration

‘Slap In The Face’: Border Enforcement Will Go Back To ‘Normal’ Now That Biden’s Visit Is Over, Officials Say

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EL PASO, Texas — Border enforcement will return to a “status quo” following the president’s visit to El Paso, Texas, Sunday, current and former Border Patrol officials told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

President Joe Biden didn’t see the full scope of the border crisis because federal authorities were instructed to ramp up enforcement, Retired Deputy Patrol Agent in Charge of the El Paso Station Clay Thomas told the DCNF.

“So in the days before President Biden came to El Paso the enforcement efforts were heightened and the streets were cleaned up, they shut down the convention center and other activities to make things look normal. President Biden was here, everything was pretty quiet. And within days of him leaving, everything will go back to normal operations as usual, per status quo,” Thomas said.

“Last night, there was already an accident just west of El Paso that appears to be a smuggling load, 10 people in a vehicle and two dying. So it seems like it’s already going back to normal,” he added.

Illegal immigrants line the streets of downtown El Paso, Texas (Jennie Taer//Daily Caller News Foundation)

Biden made few comments to the press during his visit, where he briefly told reporters that “They need a lot of resources, and we’re going to get it for them” at the border, per a White House transcript.

Federal authorities in El Paso saw roughly 2,000 migrants a day at the height of December crossings, which has decreased in recent days to about 700, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday.

“It was a slap in the face to citizens of El Paso to deal with this migrant surge since this administration took over, to have streets cleaned and camps moved out of sight for a few hours,” a Border Patrol agent in the sector, who requested anonymity as they weren’t authorized to speak, told the DCNF.

The nonprofit organizations, like the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, running shelters housing illegal migrants are preparing for the oncoming influx as their numbers lowered in the days leading up to Biden’s visit.

“I will tell you whether it be intentional or coincidental. I’ve got folks in my office that are basically saying we’ll be back to normal tomorrow,” the Opportunity Center’s Director, John Martin told the DCNF.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says the reason they’ve recently increased enforcement is because there’s been an increase in illegal migrants evading apprehension.

“CBP, which is responsible for securing the U.S. border between ports of entry, uses a layered approach that includes patrolling the border itself, nearby areas, and neighborhoods, and conducting checkpoints – both stationary and temporary. In response to migrants evading apprehension in the El Paso area, the United States Border Patrol has increased the number of agents patrolling the area,” a CBP spokesperson told the DCNF.