False rumor sparks migrant protest at US border, CBP responds

Lauren Villagran, El Paso Times
Updated ·2 min read
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Hundreds of migrants amassed in Juárez on the south banks of the Rio Grande in an hours-long clamor for a chance to enter the United States.

The Monday protest emerged after a false rumor circulated that the U.S. would "open the border" on Aug. 8 — the latest ruckus sparked by misinformation spreading online through migrant communities.

Venezuelan and other migrant men and women shouted and rattled the steel gates of a railroad crossing and allegedly threw rocks across the river.

At 8:50 p.m., the group of migrants attempted to breach the crossing and make a mass entry, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

U.S. border authorities, including CBP's Special Response Team, responded by discharging pepper balls at protesters to disperse the crowd.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stand behind concertina on the northbound railroad bridge after migrants congregate on the south side in Ciudad Juárez after a social media rumor circulated that they would be allowed entry to seek asylum.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stand behind concertina on the northbound railroad bridge after migrants congregate on the south side in Ciudad Juárez after a social media rumor circulated that they would be allowed entry to seek asylum.

The number of migrants encountered in Border Patrol's El Paso Sector dropped by half after the end of Title 42 expulsions in May, declining to roughly 13,000 encounters in June from more than 26,000 in May. The sector includes El Paso, part of West Texas and New Mexico.

But migrants have continued arriving in Juárez through the summer months, and tensions are again growing.

Many Venezuelan families have been less willing to stay in a network of faith-based shelters in Juárez, where migrant aid organizations often provide factual information about migration opportunities in the U.S. Some sleep in the streets, even as triple-digit temperatures break historical records.

Migrants pleaded with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to allow entry into the U.S. as they stood next to a gate on the northbound railroad bridge in Ciudad Juárez that leads into El Paso after a rumor on social media circulated claiming that they would be allowed entry to seek asylum.
Migrants pleaded with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to allow entry into the U.S. as they stood next to a gate on the northbound railroad bridge in Ciudad Juárez that leads into El Paso after a rumor on social media circulated claiming that they would be allowed entry to seek asylum.

Migrants say they face robbery and mistreatment in Juárez by criminals and law enforcement.

More: 'It’s burning out there': Amid record heat, migrant deaths at border surge in Sunland Park

A Chihuahua state migrant aid organization, the Centro de Atención Integral al Migrante, has recorded between 100 and 150 migrants per day seeking assistance at the agency's office near the border in Juárez, Director Enrique Valenzuela said.

"Every day more people arrive. We are seeing more people in the streets again," he said. "We have so many people who don't want to go to the shelters. We insist on the official information that we have. The CBP One application has facilitated access for many people who want to request a date and time to present. But the demand is great."

Migrants pleaded with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to allow entry into the U.S. as they stood next to a gate on the northbound railroad bridge in Ciudad Juárez that leads into El Paso after a rumor on social media circulated claiming they would be allowed entry to seek asylum.
Migrants pleaded with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to allow entry into the U.S. as they stood next to a gate on the northbound railroad bridge in Ciudad Juárez that leads into El Paso after a rumor on social media circulated claiming they would be allowed entry to seek asylum.

The Biden administration rolled out new features on the government's CBP One cellphone application earlier this year, allowing some migrants to seek entry to the U.S. via an appointment system.

An appointment doesn't guarantee a migrant will be released into the country or afforded immigration relief; the administration continues to remove migrants to Mexico and their countries of origin.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Migrant protest treatment in Juárez after false 'open border' rumor