Title 42 ending: Police to sweep out 2,500 migrant gotaways overtaking El Paso streets

EL PASO, Texas — Days ahead of Title 42 ending, police at the federal, state, and local level have agreed to move collectively in the coming 72 hours to sweep downtown, where immigrants who slipped into the country undetected have set up residence on the streets and turned city blocks into slums, the Washington Examiner has learned.

The federal government arm, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, announced late Monday that starting Tuesday, it would “conduct a targeted enforcement operation” in El Paso.

BORDER FALLING INTO CHAOS AHEAD OF TITLE 42 END DATE: ‘WE’RE IN TROUBLE’

“Immigration enforcement agents will process individuals for vetting and placement into Title 42 expulsion or Title 8 removal proceedings, as applicable,” CBP said in a statement. “Noncitizens who pose a threat to national security or public safety will be transferred to ICE for detention.”

Two senior CBP officials who disclosed the plan to the Washington Examiner on Monday said the operation would be a serious, calculated move, with federal agents and officers taking significant safety precautions for fear of a hostile pushback from those on the streets.

“Absolutely, we’re going to wear riot gear. We’re taking every precaution necessary,” said one official based in El Paso. “These guys will take you hostage. They’re capable of anything.”

A second senior level CBP official said law enforcement would begin messaging Tuesday for immigrants to surrender to Border Patrol, giving people the chance to come forward before any enforcement action is taken by federal agents and officers.

Federal, state, and local officials held a private meeting Monday to discuss moving forward with the plan. The proposal was initially put forward by CBP leadership in Washington, not officials in El Paso.

But not all CBP employees were happy about the sudden announcement Monday night.

“Nothing like publicly announcing that dangerous people will be arrested, while warning them ahead of time exactly where to run and hide to avoid arrest,” the National Border Patrol Council tweeted late Monday. “This entire operation is a sad joke – another pandering PR stunt. Serious law enforcement leaders don’t behave this way.”

Approximately 2,500 primarily male immigrants from Venezuela who illegally crossed the border from Mexico and evaded law enforcement are sprawled across several blocks surrounding Sacred Heart Church.

The continually expanding homeless encampment has become a serious problem in the community over public safety concerns, including confirmed incidents of daily prostitution and drug distribution, according to three federal law enforcement officials who spoke with the Washington Examiner this week.

Officials were especially concerned about the criminal element. Several federal law enforcement officials monitoring the situation told the Washington Examiner those living on the street include confirmed members of Tren de Aragua, a gang that emerged from a Venezuelan prison in Tocoron.

“MS-13 has absolutely nothing on them,” the first official said. “Once they get their resources in all of these big cities — you think crime is bad right now. Just wait.”

While other nonprofit and religious groups in the region have taken in families and adults who were released by federal border authorities and permitted to remain in the United States through court proceedings, the immigrants outside this church cannot get help from charities that have received federal assistance because it would mean federal tax dollars are being given to people who have committed the federal crime of unlawful entry.

Sacred Heart has continued to aid those living outside since last year.

Two federal officials said they believed the immigrants outside the church have lingered because the church is giving out forms that permit them to be present in the U.S. despite not having been processed by CBP.

However, those forms are illegitimate, both officials said. Some of these forms have been intercepted by Border Patrol agents at highway checkpoints, as the illegal immigrants at the church obtain those forms from the church and then board buses only to be stopped at a checkpoint and told the documents are invalid.

MS-13 is a gang of primarily Salvadoran men and male teenagers whose motto is “kill, rape, and control.”

People have spread out across the area and line the alleys and sidewalks outside businesses and residences during a walk through the area Monday afternoon and evening. Many slept on human-sized pieces of cardboard and walk barefoot.

Two blocks west in the city’s shopping hub on El Paso Street, electrical outlets near sidewalk benches were constantly occupied by people charging their cellphones — leaving local residents to foot the bill.

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Few children were present outside the church. One infant sat on top of a large yellow garbage bin, and a child and adult ate dinner and stood around.

Around 6 p.m., a pickup truck carrying food and clothing pulled onto one of the streets that local authorities shut down to vehicular traffic Sunday night.

People immediately lined up and several hundred passed through the line as Catholic church officials prayed over the food.