WASHINGTON, Dec 18 The mayor of the US city of El Paso on On the border with Mexico, Oscar Liser declared a state of emergency due to migrants.
«I spoke with our federal partners, they believe that on Wednesday the number of migrants will increase from 2.5 to 6 thousand. When I asked if they could cope with this, the answer was no.» When I received this answer , this meant that I had to act immediately,» Lieser said at a press conference.
The event was broadcast by local TV channels.
The state of emergency will allow attracting more resources to respond to the situation, including for shelters for migrants and to ensure the work of law enforcement officers, the mayor's office explained.
It is reported that the number of migrants who spend the night outdoors has noticeably increased on the streets of the city, despite zero and negative temperatures.
Section 42, which allowed the expulsion of migrants from regions where the risk of coronavirus is high, is expected to end on Wednesday. The norm was used to prevent asylum-seekers from making such a request and to immediately arrange for their expulsion.