El Paso, Texas Mayor Oscar Leeser nearly walks out of a news conference with the microphone after being questioned why the city delayed declaring a state of emergency with Title 42 set to expire on Wednesday.
During a press conference on Thursday, the mayor was pressed as to why he was taking so long to make that call.
FILE – Migrants wait to board a U.S. government bus after crossing the border from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, into El Paso, Texas, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. The mayor of the Texas border city stated the state of emergency on Saturday, December 12, 2022. .17 over concerns about the community’s ability to handle an anticipated influx of migrants across the southern border. El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser issued the declaration of a state of emergency to allow the city to take advantage of additional resources expected to be needed after the Title 42 evictions end on December 21.
(AP Photo/Christian Chavez, file)
A reporter asked city officials about immigrants coming out of the sewers, even the day before.
TEXAS BORDER PATROL FACILITY OVERWHELMED WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AS TITLE 42 EXPIRES
City Manager Mario D’Agostino confirmed that the city had seen videos of migrants coming out of the sewers, running across the border and then running across the highway.
He explained that the difficulty was to find out how the migrants passed and then ask for an increase in patrols in those areas.
More than a thousand migrants waiting to enter the United States from Juárez, Mexico.
(Fox News Digital/Jon Michael Raasch)
By having increased patrols, the city can get a consensus of how many people are going through the sewer and drainage systems, and document it.
DENVER MAYOR DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY AFTER THE ARRIVAL OF MIGRANTS FROM THE SOUTHERN BORDER: ‘IMMENSE TENSION’
After being questioned about funding and running the city, at times at odds with city manager D’Agostino, Leeser moved to end the press conference.
After making his closing remarks, the mayor took the microphone and started to walk away.
City officials declared a state of emergency Saturday, at which point Leeser said he could no longer keep residents safe.
Immigrants at the front of the line are processed for entry by US Customs and Border Protection.
(Fox News Digital/Jon Michael Raasch)
El Paso, a city located along the US-Mexico border, continues to see an influx of immigrants into its community. He also expects a surge of immigrants when Title 42, a Trump-era immigration policy that reduced the number of asylum seekers the US would allow under the COVID pandemic, expires on December 21.
With the emergency declaration, Leeser is requesting additional resources and support from the state.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The request includes asking for support in staffing to feed and house migrants, resources to transport migrants to other cities, and additional police personnel to help ensure the safety of residents and migrants.
President Joe Biden has chosen not to continue the Title 42 rules, and the courts have allowed them to lapse. Nineteen red states, including Texas, have filed lawsuits to keep the rules in place.
