ROMA, Texas – Local residents on Monday night expressed frustration at the number of migrants illegally entering the United States who are marched through their neighborhoods to board buses.
Mostly family unit migrants primarily from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador surrendered to waiting Border Patrol agents. On Monday, nearly 300 were apprehended and taken through the streets.
One resident on Peter Street, Norma, says the groups have changed their entry times to early morning hours. The change means lots of nervous, sleepless nights. “They used to cross at about 10:00pm to midnight. Now, it’s closer to 1:00am to 3:00am.”
Norma says the previously quiet area has changed over the last few months. “After January, everything changed. We might have seen one or two small groups of people walk past the house and eventually get caught, now it’s hundreds almost every night.”
Another resident, Miguel, says the presence of Border Patrol and a noticeable increase in Texas Highway Patrol offers some security, he says it is still shocking to see the migrants in the area. “I have lived here all my life. This is not new to us, but the numbers have increased to the point it is hard to believe.”
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.
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