Border Patrol officials tried to create resistance to illegal immigration by calling the border conditions “harsh and unforgiving.” However, the recent spike in illegal immigrants from the US-Mexico border worried many officials, amid the soft posture of the Biden administration towards the issue.
Big Bend area is the home of illegal immigration in the United States
Jose Aleman, a Border Patrol agent currently in charge at the Van Horn Station, noted he found backpacks and water at the border, suggesting people have been trying to cross the border illegally, even in the winter season.
He asserted illegal immigrants hide in trash bags at night to avoid encounters with the patrol agents. Having more than 20 years of experience, Aleman noted illegal immigrants try to reach the interstate areas without getting caught or seen.
Once they manage to do that, they coordinate with smugglers who pick them up and transport them into the mainland territory.
He was talking about the Big Bend Sector, which covers a large area of western Texas and the entire Oklahoma border, as the length of the sector is roughly 517 miles.
Deputy Chief Patrol Agent of the Big Bend Sector Matthew Roggow labeled the situation unprecedented. Roggow advised people not to cross the border from the Big Bend Sector, warning it is “not worth your lives.”
Reportedly, not every intruder successfully makes it to the interstate, as modern-day surveillance technologies assist agents in catching them before they reach the interstate.
In a remote sector like Big Bend, agents rely on technology to detect the record number of migrants coming across our southern border. I will continue to push for virtual solutions to this border crisis. https://t.co/Ypx47STzdq
— Rep. Tony Gonzales (@RepTonyGonzales) December 9, 2021
Aleman noted while surveillance technologies help agents in catching these people, this method is also helpful in rescuing many people. This is because some immigrants out there are abandoned people with no clue what to do.
Crossing the dangerous area is “not worth your life”
Big Bend is an extremely dangerous area with tall mountains, long deserts, with no water facility at all. Most intruders cross the region within the timeframe of 10 to 12 days, so they come with enough water to survive.
The region faces extreme weather conditions in both summers and winters. Last week, Border Patrol agents and rangers apprehended more than 70 illegal immigrants from Venezuela at the Big Bend National Park.
This once again sparked the debate of undocumented people crossing the US border. Not only this, but since November 25, more than 200 people have been apprehended within the park.
Please watch this short video….to better understand what we and other ranchers deal with in the Big Bend sector.
Illegal Immigration Spike in Remote West Texas https://t.co/WNSJkYaMzO
— JB (@SimmonsBart) September 29, 2021
Sean McGoffin, the Chief Patrol Agent of the Big Bend Sector, asserted his team burned the midnight oil to shield Americans by protecting the borders. He furthermore endorsed the contributions of the National Park Service rangers in stopping illegal immigration.
Despite the record breaking illegal immigration numbers and rising apprehensions, the Biden administration has repeatedly indicated it had no plans to reinstate the Trump era’s border wall.
