Midland, Texas leaders blindsided by arrival of migrants at holding facility

MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) - The large influx of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border now involves Midland, Texas.

On Sunday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that the federal government planned to move some children from the border to a holding facility in Midland. The migrants arrived in buses overnight.

City of Midland and Midland County officials said they were completely blindsided by the opening of the facility. At a press conference on Monday, Midland Mayor Patrick Payton said that the facility is ‘disrespectful’ to the City of Midland.

Payton went on to add that all of the migrants at the facility are boys ranging in age from 13 to 17. He has no idea how long the facility was preparing to bring in migrants.

“It is utter chaos and I don’t think I’m exaggerating on this, but they are coming over by the thousands, literally by the thousands,” said Payton.

Payton said that he wants the children to be moved from the facility in six weeks, but added that the timeline of their stay is still unclear.

Both Payton and Midland County Judge Terry Johnson say their questions to federal agencies have all met with the same answer - “We will circle to you.”

In a statement released on Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that FEMA would be supporting a government-wide effort over the next 90 days to “safely receive, shelter, and transfer unaccompanied children who make the dangerous journey to the U.S. southwest border.”

Texas Congressman August Pfluger was at the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday visiting migrant holding facilities and speaking with Border Patrol officials as they see a rise in border crossings.

Eleven republicans from the U.S. House of Representatives, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, say they’re worried about the impact a surge of migrants could have on the country specifically because of human trafficking concerns as well as COVID-19.

Congressman Pfluger was particularly upset with how the federal government handled the migrant holding facility in Midland County. He believes that the late notification and moving children through the cover of darkness was intentional.

“I think part of it probably was. I think the other part of it is they’re in chaos. They don’t have a plan for how to keep our country secure. I think it really signals the lack of willingness to identify and call this for what it is,” said Pfluger.

Pfluger says the influx of immigrants can be directly attributed to the Biden Administration’s rollback of Trump-era immigration policies.

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