Undocumented immigrants released from overcrowded Texas centre

Authorities in Texas have released a number of undocumented immigrants from an overcrowded border processing centre, the media reported.

With the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility there well over capacity, the city of Brownsville is preparing to handle thousands of migrants moving through the area before starting the trek to other destinations, CNN reported.

The Border Protection facility, according to a tweet from the agency, is at 174 per cent capacity with 5,355 people in custody.

Brownsville City Manager Noel Bernal said on Saturday that initially only around 50 people were being dropped off per day.

It has averaged around 300 in the past few days with more expected to be released in coming days.

The CBP has been saying for months that "the immigration system is broken and that they are at critical capacity levels across the southwest border.

"CBP's facilities and manpower cannot support this dramatic increase in apprehensions of family units and unaccompanied children".

About 1,000 undocumented immigrants are being apprehended each day in the Rio Grande Valley sector, a customs spokesperson said.

CBP has released undocumented immigrants into the area before, under former President Barack Obama administration, but the situation was more coordinated then, Bernal said.

Texas shelters along the border have scrambled to house migrants, CNN said.

Last week, the Border Patrol in the Rio Grande Valley began releasing people directly from its custody with a notice to appear in court -- something that had not been done since 1998, according to a Department of Homeland Security official.

--IANS

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