Texas border mayors sound alarm on COVID migrant crisis, declare disaster: We're at a 'breaking point'
“Something’s terribly wrong here,” said Laredo, Texas Mayor Pete Saenz.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Two Texas mayors are sounding the alarm and calling on the Biden administration for help as migrants, a significant portion of which have tested positive for COVID-19, flood into The Lone Star State.
McAllen, Texas Mayor Major Javier Villalobos said Friday that his town was at a "breaking point" and he ultimately decided to issue an emergency declaration to build a "tent city" for the massive influx of migrants.
With minimal help from the federal government, Catholic charities in the area were utilizing donations to house and assist migrants who had been bussed into McAllen.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The Catholic charities just couldn’t handle it anymore," Villalobos told "America’s Newsroom." "We get a call, so we have to immediately act because we cannot—we shouldn’t and we cannot let the immigrants roam around our city—especially with a high COVID rate."
Villalobos said that migrant COVID-positivity rate had in the past sat at around four to five percent—but had now reached a staggering 16%.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The McAllen mayor added that his town’s situation was not a result of a border issue or the fault of his local officials, but rather an immigration crisis created by legislation in Washington. He also warned that his city was merely a passing stop for processed migrants who would go on to locations throughout the United States.
"You know with the stroke of a pen this can be taken care of," said Villalobos. "Seven, eight, nine months ago it was totally different, it was under control. I wish things could go back to the way they were."
Just hours earlier, another Texas mayor echoed Villalobos's concerns on "Fox & Friends."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Something’s terribly wrong here," said Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz. "It’s not orderly, there’s chaos, and obviously it’s creating this crisis that we’re facing here throughout the entire border area."
According to KGNS-TV, more than 28 migrants have been taken to Laredo shelters and more than 75 of them have tested positive for COVID-19.
Saenz said that his city's issues have been compounded by their proximity to the Rio Grande Valley and have since been designated as a processing location for migrants entering the U.S.
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In order to move migrants out of Laredo, Saenz said that the city has been forced to finance migrants' travel further north into Texas using taxpayer dollars.
"Don’t expect the locals to expend money to help the federal government—we do our part. That’s all we can do."