Texas border counties issue disaster declarations after Title 42’s end
These announcements came after the El Paso mayor declared a state of emergency as mostly single military age men remain homeless in its downtown streets and Texas DPS continues to combat cartel and gang-related crime stemming from the border.
By The Center Square Staff
By Bethany Blankley
Updated: May 14, 2023 - 11:00pm
Several South Texas counties issued disaster declarations as the public health authority Title 42 came to close.
The declarations were made as large groups of people, 15,000 Venezuelans and 15,000 Haitians, arrived in the Rio Grande Valley seeking entry to the U.S. An additional 23,000 are reportedly en route to Del Rio.
In the Rio Grande Valley, Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez issued a disaster declaration stating, “I received credible information from officials with Customs and Border Protection that large groups of migrants are probing our international border in search of crossing points.” He said he decided to declare an emergency “as a first step in securing all available resources.”
It follows a state disaster declaration issued by Gov. Greg Abbott on May 31, 2021, which followed the first disaster declaration filed by Kinney County on April 21, 2021. Roughly 30 counties issued disaster declarations in 2021, most of which are still in effect. Abbott amended the state disaster declaration on April 21, 2023, and also issued subsequent proclamations and executive orders over the border crisis.
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/texas-border-counties-issue-disaster-declarations-after-title-42s-end
