Congressman Henry Cuellar, other Webb County officials and several migrant shelters such as local non-governmental organizations discussed last week the current influx of migrants crossing the border and what response will be made to safeguard the community.

They said the concern over many migrants entering the country is not just because of crime but also because of the pandemic. Although Cuellar noted migrant numbers have gone up significantly in the past few weeks, he said they are not as alarming as rates seen under the Obama Administration. However, he said security is the top priority.

“We want to see security without the wall,” Cuellar said. “So, one of the things that the mayor and I and other folks have been talking about is how do we use, for example, in the Laredo sector they had about $1.2 billion that was appropriated for the wall that we are now saying let’s use that for technology, roads, for getting rid of the carrizo so the Border Patrol could see, and also technology for our bridges. In other words, we don’t want to see open borders, we want to see security without the wall itself.”

Cuellar outlined that anybody who wants open borders or wishes for people to just cross into the country is not aligned with his views or those of officials along the border.

Also discussed was a plan to deal with the influx of people already coming into the country via Laredo and the surround border sectors. NGOs are already seeing an increase in their shelters with people coming through the border and waiting for their immigration hearings.

Local NGOs, mostly those involved with religious services, are worried if they can truly help everyone people due to a lack of resources.

“Those antigen tests in Mexico are only good for that point and time,” Holding Institute executive director Mike Smith said. “Therefore, when somebody comes over here, we want to make sure that they are negative so we can test them again as we don’t want to send them to a bus or a plane as we want to stop the spread of the virus here at the border as much as we can. We have a responsibility to our community and the community at large.”

Smith said over the past two weeks they had received more than 32 individuals with several pregnant women among them. The average of stay is about three nights in their shelter.

Sister Rosemary Welsh, executive director of the Mercy Ministries of Laredo, said health is their top priority and they are ready to mobilize several national resources to the city to help with incoming migrants.

These shelters still must help local people facing financial burdens along with the large homeless population in the city.

City of Laredo Fire Chief Guillermo Heard said there is a short-term contingency plan to make sure people get tested as they are coming into the shelter. However, he warned this is only temporary and plans are already in place in case anyone tests positive.

According to Cuellar, there are three sectors along the border and close to the Laredo sector that are experiencing an influx of people. For the Del Rio sector, which is approximately 150 miles northwest of the Laredo sector, people from Haiti and Cuba are being seen detained and coming into the country. The Valley sector sees more people from Central American countries as they account for about 70% of those coming into the country.

The Laredo sector is unique in that the main groups of people coming in are from Mexico and single units.

“The Laredo sector is a little different as about 73% of the people coming in are Mexicans, mainly male adults, so under Title 42, which is the health, those folks are being returned under Title 42,” Cuellar said. “Whether you agree or disagree, that is what we are using right now which was used during the former administration and at least being used right now under the new administration and this pandemic.”

Cuellar said about 100 individuals have been released in the past month under Title 42 since the new administration began on Jan. 20.

Cuellar said different kinds of people and sizes of family units or individuals entering through different areas is not a coincidence but rather a direct result of criminal organizations mandating how the trafficking of people comes into the country.

Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz said security for the residents and citizens of the Gateway City is the main priority, especially during the pandemic.

“This is kind of déjà vu again if you recall the fall of 2019, more or less those months, when it was critical for NGOs,” Saenz said.

Even though he expressed compassion for the plight of immigrants, he said compassion costs money, and that is where governments must take action to help NGOs and other organizations. Saenz said the federal government never truly reimbursed the city for its efforts and that of NGOs, and he hopes this changes with the current administration hopefully taking more care of the people that come.

Saenz said the city and local NGOs must decide if they can continue being compassionate without opening their doors or what alternatives exist if the federal government does not provide assistance.

Cuellar said the need for more NGOs might grow if Laredo becomes part of a major migration program for those seeking asylum in the country.

He also briefly discussed Migration Protection Protocols and said Laredo is still not under such a program but soon could be. According to Cuellar, all migrants who form part of this program and have an active immigration case will be allowed to enter the country but only once they are tested. If they are found positive, they will not be allowed to come into the country.

“We want to be compassionate to the immigrants, but as a member from Congress from the border region we want to make sure that we protect the local community,” Cuellar said. “We have to worry about the volunteers at the NGOs and the community, because if they are dropping about 1,000 individuals into the Valley, then the mayor of other places are calling us that their hospitals are overloaded and that they need to know what Border Patrol will actually do.”