Migrants Arrested in Border ‘Riot’ Released by El Paso Judge, Reports Say

Debarylife – A story claims that on Easter Sunday, an El Paso judge freed a minimum of a few migrants who were purportedly part of a violent surge that overran National Guard forces at the southern border in Texas.

The El Paso Times reports that during a bond hearing, Presiding Magistrate Judge Humberto Acosta declared that immigrants accused of “riot participation” would be released in the wake of the tragic incident along the Rio Grande ten days earlier.

According to Acosta, the El Paso District Attorney’s Office was not prepared to proceed with detention hearings for each defendant, who decided to release them, the publication stated.

A judge granted the release of a minimum of several migrants who were alleged to have participated in the border incident. “All rioting participation cases will be released on their recognizance, per the court’s ruling,” Acosta said in the virtual conference, as reported by the newspaper.

A shocking video obtained by The Post shows migrants being detained by Texas police on rioting-related charges connected to the violent incident where guards were thrown over and razor wire was torn down.

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The guards, who were frantically attempting to organize the border crossers into groups so they could be transferred into the custody of Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) on March 21, were vastly outnumbered by the largely adult males who had crossed the border.

Massive crowds of migrants managed to rush to a border gate during the heated meeting, hoping that Border Patrol officers on the other side would take them into custody and allow them entry into the US. A few guardsmen sustained minor wounds.

It is unclear if the judge’s decision from Sunday extended to the defendants who were charged with assault of a public worker and criminal mischief, or solely to those who were charged with “riot participation,” according to the El Paso Times. Some migrants were also charged with criminal mischief.

According to the newspaper, court representatives also stated that migrants will stay in custody in the case that a federal immigration hold prevents their release.

The motion for postponed hearings was made on Sunday by Assistant District Attorney Ashley M. Martinez. But that was not what Acosta agreed to.

Thursday, March 21, 2024, sees the Texas National Guard escorting male migrants south behind a barrier on the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The AP
Uncertainty surrounds the number of migrants accused of misdemeanor “riot participation.”

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As stated in the newspaper, Judge Acosta granted individual detention hearings to “hundreds of arrestees” in 48 hours.

“So we’re going to do this, we’re going to release all these people on their recognizance if the DA’s office tells me that they are not ready to go,” Acosta allegedly informed her.

Over 200 migrants whom authorities sought to arrest and charge were being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an official previously told The Post last week.

The Border Patrol was more forthcoming than federal officials, though.

According to the El Paso Times, a second hearing is anticipated for Monday. For comment, the district attorney’s office has been contacted by The Post.

Although Texas has made an effort to apprehend and deport illegal immigrants using state and national guard forces, the Biden administration has worked to thwart such efforts.

Texas was not allowed to proceed with that action last week by a federal appeals court. A divided US Supreme Court permitted the bill to move forward while the legal challenge was being handled, and it briefly came into force in early March.