Large group attempted mass entry at El Paso border crossing: CBP

Officials say a large group of migrants in Mexico on Sunday attempted a mass entry into the country at the El Paso border crossing, according to multiple reports.

The massive flood of migrants caused a number of disruptions and led to officials using barricades to try to contain the migrants, CNN reported.

Reuters reported that hundreds of Venezuelan migrants, including many with small children, were stopped by U.S. officials when attempting to enter into the United States. They gathered at the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez, but failed to breach the border before being stopped by officials, the report said.

“Please, we just want to get in so we can help our families,” Camila Paz, an 18-year-old Venezuelan, said to Reuters. “So I can have a future and help my family.”

Video footage shared with Fox News showed one large surge of people rushing toward the border.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement obtained by The Hill that the group was “posing a potential threat to make a mass entry.”

CBP officials said that they “implemented port hardening measures” at the Paso del Norte International Bridge at about 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, halting traffic. They also said that they used physical barriers to prevent entry before traffic on the bridge resumed later Sunday evening.

“CBP is working to maintain the legal and orderly flow of entry to the U.S. while protecting the safety and security of legitimate trade and travel, CBP facilities and the CBP workforce,” the statement said.

El Paso Deputy City Manager Mario D’Agostino told CNN that crowds were dispersing by Sunday evening and that the area is being monitored.

The agency said there were also attempts by large groups to cross the Stanton border crossing and the Bridge of the Americas crossing on Sunday.

This migrant surge comes as the Biden administration announced new steps to mitigate an influx of migrants wanting to enter the country at the border. President Biden warned migrants in January to not “just show up” at the southern U.S. border but instead apply for legal entry into the country.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a requst for comment.