NBC 5 traveled to Eagle Pass where migrants continue to cross into the U.S. illegally, some seeking asylum.
Small groups of migrants continued to wade into the frigid and unpredictable Rio Grande throughout the day on Tuesday despite a row of shipping containers lined up across the riverbank and despite the National Guard’s presence and the razor wire meant to deter their efforts to gain entry into the U.S.
In a span of two hours, our camera witnessed groups of migrants walking toward members of the National Guard to turn themselves over to CBP.
Those walking near NBC 5 said they hailed from Ecuador, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.
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Once on dry land, some of the migrants sifted through a pile of clothes left underneath one of the city’s international ports of entry.
A handful of migrants quickly grew to a group of about 20 people.
A large bus arrived to transport the group to a nearby processing center.
From there, some migrants will be deported to Mexico while others will be allowed into the U.S. with an order to appear in immigration court to make their asylum claim.
Immigrations officials will often reach out to non-governmental organizations like Border Mission Hope in Eagle Pass.
These shelters are operating like respite centers that provide migrants with a phone to call loved ones and make plans to travel to their destination via plane or bus.
However, nonprofit centers in El Paso are so overrun with migrants arriving and in need of help, they have had to turn people away, leaving many to sleep in the airport and on frigid city streets.
