Texas Judge Permits Release of Migrants Detained Following Border Stampede
Debarylife – A local media source stated that on Sunday, a court in El Paso, Texas, approved the release of migrants who were allegedly participating in a “border riot” that overran National Guard forces along the Rio Grande earlier this month.
Social media videos from March 21 showed a “riot” of asylum seekers trying to cross the border into the United States from Mexico. The Texas National Guard was reportedly “overrun by migrants” who forced their way past a border fence and the soldiers before the situation was under control, according to a reporter who was on the scene.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics show that 68,260 people crossed the southwest land border in Texas in January, down from 149,806 in December, but still among the highest numbers in the nation.
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, along with other conservative leaders, have tried to pass their immigration laws in reaction to the surge. These laws would permit the arrest, detention, and expulsion of individuals who are suspected of being illegal immigrants. But legal action against those attempts is still ongoing.
The El Paso Times reported that Magistrate Judge Humberto Acosta delivered his decision on Sunday during an online teleconference bond hearing.
He chastised the El Paso District Attorney’s Office for not being prepared to move forward with detention hearings for some of the defendants who were arrested in the border incident, and he mentioned that a further hearing for more defendants is scheduled for Monday.
The local newspaper quoted Acosta as saying, “The court has decided that all cases involving rioting participation will be released on their recognizance.”
Newsweek emailed the El Paso County Courts on Sunday night, requesting an update and a response.
SEE MORE: Migrants Arrested in Border ‘Riot’ Released by El Paso Judge, Reports Say
The Texas Department of Public Safety (TDPS) announced the arrests about an incident that occurred on March 21. The migrants, who were primarily men from Venezuela, had torn down razor wire along the Rio Grande and had rushed the border fence.
Acosta stated that “hundreds of arrestees” were entitled to individual detention hearings within 48 hours, although it was unclear at the time of publishing exactly how many migrants were arrested in connection with the border incident. Whether Acosta’s decision extended solely to those accused of “riot participation” and excluded those charged with assault or criminal mischief connected to the border rush was another matter of uncertainty.
The El Paso Times reports that the judge turned down Assistant District Attorney Ashley M. Martinez’s plea to reschedule the proceedings.
“So, if the DA’s office is telling me that they are not ready to go, what we’re going to do is we’re going to release all these individuals on their recognizance,” Acosta explained.
Abbott said on March 30, on X, the previous Twitter platform, in response to the border riot: “After migrants broke through the razor wire barrier, more than 700 National Guard troops rushed to El Paso.” Included in that are the 200 soldiers from the Texas Tactical Border Force who were sent to El Paso last week. Holding the line and preventing unauthorized access is the mission.