Laredo authorities, CBP officers preparing for possible arrival of migrant caravan

Members of the Mexican Federal Police wear riot gear as they guard the outside of the migrant shelter. Members of the Mexican Federal Police wear riot gear as they guard the outside of the migrant shelter. Photo: Jerry Lara / Staff Photographer Photo: Jerry Lara / Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Laredo authorities, CBP officers preparing for possible arrival of migrant caravan 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

As a migrant caravan of about 2,000 people arrived Monday in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, about 110 miles from Laredo, authorities in the Gateway City say they are making necessary preparations should the group decide to come through this border.

Motorists entering the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge have spotted U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting drills. CBP says these exercises "ensure the facilitation of lawful trade and travel."

"CBP continues to monitor the situation regarding several caravans migrating from Central America toward the U.S. border," the agency said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "We continually assess the capabilities of our facilities throughout the Southwest border and have been making — and will continue to make — necessary preparations. These include participating in operational readiness exercises and the mobilization of resources as needed.

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"Since the initial caravan began its approach toward the U.S. border in October of 2018, CBP has reinforced staffing to ensure that we are able address any contingency, with support from interagency partners."

U.S. Border Patrol said it has deployed some Laredo sector agents to assist their peers in the Del Rio sector. The sector encompasses Eagle Pass, which is across the border from Piedras Negras.

Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Jose Martinez said the agency is in constant communication with their partners in Mexico. Mexican authorities are providing Border Patrol with updates on the location of the caravan.

"As of right now, we do not know if the caravan is going to be coming to Laredo," Martinez said.

He added, "We're monitoring the situation closely. When I say closely, it's throughout the day. 24-7, we are monitoring the activity of the caravan. Information is being relayed to us. If they do decide to come to Laredo, we have been reaching out to the non-government organizations to discuss the possibility of the caravan coming to Laredo."

Border Patrol is also talking to the Laredo Police and Fire departments to plan for the situation should the immigrants come here, Martinez said.

Border Patrol said there's a possibility that some of the individuals in the group have criminal records, ranging from illegal re-entry to more serious offenses such as aggravated assault or even murder.

"The chances of an individual being in that group with criminal history is high. It's there. There's a possibility that individuals will have criminal history in that group. Right now, it's difficult to tell," Martinez said.

Border Patrol Special Operations Supervisor Narcizo Ramos said Border Patrol has experienced mass migration before, such as the one the Rio Grande Valley sector saw in 2014 with the influx of thousands of minors and adults.

"For us, it's not a caravan. For us, it's a mass migration, a big flow of families from Central America trying to make entry. That's not new to the Border Patrol," he said.

Immigrants could face danger.

"We can easily experience what Mexicans experienced in the southern border, where people jumped off the bridges and were going through the water. We lack infrastructure. They can easily put themselves at risk by going through the water," Ramos said.

When about 1,800 Central American immigrants landed in Piedras Negras, hoping to enter the United States, local and state officials in Mexico were ready for them.

In fact, they had chartered the 48 buses and one Sprinter that carried the caravan of Central Americans about 270 miles to the border from Saltillo, the state capital of Coahuila.

"Coahuila, Saltillo and Piedras Negras arranged for the buses. Their leaders had all met on Saturday in Saltillo, and came up with a plan," Coahuila state spokesman José Gabriel Borrego said.

By Tuesday, the migrants, including a large number of women and young children, were being housed in an unused maquiladora, a former assembly plant. There are about 35 active industrial plants in this border city.

A large new sign on the fence reads, "Albergue Migrantes," Spanish for "Migrant Shelter."

The caravan was the first to reach the Texas border since similar waves of migrants fleeing poverty and violence in Central America traveled on foot and in vehicles last fall through Mexico toward California.

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Some of the migrants there tried to crash the border illegally and were met by Border Patrol agents firing tear gas canisters.

The chaotic scenes led to a new policy by the Trump administration in December that requires asylum-seekers on the southern border to wait in Mexico until they can see a U.S. immigration official, a process that can take months for their initial hearing.

It was one of several policy changes after the administration was widely criticized for separating parents and children at the border last year and holding them in detention.

Mexican officials have reluctantly agreed to accommodate the waiting immigrants by issuing them "humanitarian visas" and work permits.

The policy change is seen by many as an effort to discourage asylum cases, and is expected to reduce the number who apply.

The San Antonio Express-News contributed to this report.