Texas DPS Seizes Eagle Pass Park as Mexican Army Rescues 61 Migrants
The Border Center for Journalists and Bloggers (BCJB) summarizes the main news on the border for January 12, 2024.
Texas officers take “full control” of Eagle Pass Park against the city’s wishes
In Reynosa, Tamaulipas, the Mexican military rescued 61 migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Ecuador. These individuals are healthy and have been handed over to the Mexican immigration authorities. Meanwhile, in Eagle Pass, Texas, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) has assumed control of a 47-acre park along the Rio Grande, against the wishes of Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas. This move came in response to an emergency declaration signed by Governor Greg Abbott to curb illegal immigration. The decision has sparked disagreement, with local officials attributing it to the Biden administration's immigration policies. Eagle Pass has been a focal point of Abbott's immigration enforcement efforts, causing controversy and drawing criticism from groups like the Border Vigil, who argue it diverts attention from pressing border issues.
Army elements rescue 61 migrants in Reynosa, Tamaulipas
Biden administration tells Supreme Court Texas is barring federal government’s access to part of US-Mexico border
30 migrants abandoned on Tijuana beaches
‘No more beach closures:’ Mexico breaks ground on long-awaited wastewater treatment plant
Mexico has begun constructing a replacement wastewater treatment plant in Baja, California, to address the sewage discharge that has polluted San Diego's and Tijuana's shorelines. The current San Antonio de los Buenos treatment plant in Punta Bandera has been a significant source of water pollution, releasing millions of gallons of raw sewage daily. The $33 million project, funded by Mexico, will replace outdated lagoons with a new plant capable of treating 18 million gallons daily. This initiative is part of the cross-border agreement called Minute 328, with short-term projects on both sides of the border to combat the sewage crisis, although more funding is needed for long-term solutions. Tijuana Press, an independent digital-native media outlet in Tijuana, revealed that the Mexican Army will build the Punta Banderas plant.