According to a local media report, a judge in El Paso, Texas, has ordered the release of migrants who were accused of being involved in a “border riot” that had overwhelmed National Guard troops along the Rio Grande earlier this month.
Videos circulating on social media captured a chaotic scene at the El Paso border on March 21, as a group of asylum seekers attempted to enter the United States illegally from Mexico. An on-site reporter witnessed the Texas National Guard being overwhelmed by migrants who forcefully pushed their way past both a border fence and the soldiers. However, the situation was eventually brought under control.
In January, approximately 68,260 individuals crossed the southwest land border in Texas, as reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. This marks a decrease from the 149,806 migrants who entered in December, although the figure still remains one of the highest in the country. In light of this surge, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott and other conservative officials have made efforts to implement their own immigration laws, which aim to enable the arrest, detainment, and removal of suspected illegal immigrants. However, these initiatives are currently being challenged in legal proceedings.
During an online teleconference bond hearing on Sunday, Magistrate Judge Humberto Acosta criticized the El Paso District Attorney’s Office for not being prepared to proceed with detention hearings for some of the defendants involved in the border incident. The El Paso Times reported that another hearing for additional defendants is scheduled for Monday.
According to the local newspaper, Acosta stated that the court’s ruling is that all individuals involved in the rioting will be released on their own recognizance.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (TDPS) arrested several individuals in relation to an incident that took place on March 21. During this incident, a group of migrants, predominantly men from Venezuela, tore down razor wire along the Rio Grande and forcefully approached the border fence.
On Sunday, Newsweek reached out to the TDPS and the El Paso District Attorney’s Office via email for comment.
At the time of this report, the precise number of migrants arrested in relation to the border riot remains uncertain. However, according to Acosta, there were “hundreds of arrestees” who have the right to individual detention hearings within 48 hours. It is also unclear whether Acosta’s ruling applies exclusively to those charged with “riot participation” or if it encompasses individuals accused of assault or criminal mischief in connection to the border stampede.
According to the El Paso Times, the judge denied Assistant District Attorney Ashley M. Martinez’s request to hold the hearings at a later date.
According to Acosta, if the DA’s office states that they are not prepared to proceed, the course of action will be to release these individuals on their own recognizance.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on March 30, Abbott addressed the border riot and stated that over 700 National Guard troops were sent to El Paso. Among them were 200 Soldiers from the Texas Tactical Border Force, who were deployed to El Paso the previous week. Their mission was to hold the line and prevent illegal entry.
