U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent more agents to El Paso because of recent migrant rises on the border, most of these migrants ask for asylum and or are undocumented. Currently ICE, the Military and the National Guard are stationed all at the border.

“We are increasing personnel in El Paso to ensure efficient processing and enforcement efforts,” an ICE spokesperson said in a statement. “This prioritizes the removal of individuals without a legal reason to remain in the United States.”

The El Paso area has experienced a big rise in migrant encounters in past months, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reporting an average of 46,000 migrant crossings in the months of November and December. Although recently, in the first couple weeks of January there was a 45% drop in migrant crossing activity.

Meanwhile, immigration representatives have raised concerns about potential enforcement actions targeting some vulnerable individuals. “We urge ICE to ensure that due process is upheld and that no one is unjustly detained or deported,” Linda Rivas, the head of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, said.

“Sometimes I fear of something happening between me and ICE officers because of previous encounters I have had with border officers” sophomore Jaime Martinez said. ” I mean I have had family get falsely detained by border patrol  so I’m not really fond about them”.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has repeatedly called for stronger border enforcement, mentioning concerns over security and resources. “Texas is stepping up where the federal government is failing,” Abbott said.

ICE has not said how long these extra agents will remain in El Paso, stating only that it will continue monitoring migration activity and adjust things as needed.