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CNN
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More than 300 people stayed overnight at the El Paso Convention Center in Texas. Communities are working to accommodate more and more immigrants. Laura Cruz, El Paso’s strategic communications director, told CNN in an email on Saturday.
The city recently declared a state of emergency as thousands of immigrants arrived in the city in anticipation of a possible overturn of Title 42, Trump-era border policy.
To help immigrants, the El Paso Emergency Management Agency activated its Emergency Operations Center on Monday, according to a city news release. The move comes after the El Paso City Council unanimously approved an emergency ordinance to extend the disaster declaration issued by El Paso Mayor Oscar his Riesser on December 17.
The ordinance is currently in effect until January 17th.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security warned immigrants against illegal immigration in the midst of cold weather, saying in a statement that the agency will continue to “fully enforce immigration and public health laws at the border.” Stated.
“With temperatures remaining dangerously low across the border, no one should put their life in the hands of smugglers or risk life or limb to cross,” the statement said. increase.
Local disaster declarations will allow communities to formally implement the provisions of their emergency plans and take action, if necessary, including implementing economic stabilization measures such as price, wage and rent controls, the release said. said.
The declaration also makes it possible to suspend selected rules and ordinances that allow facilities such as schools to be used as shelters.
“Currently, the convention center has about 1,000 beds,” Cruz Acosta told CNN in an email. “We can expand the convention center to accommodate up to about 1,500 people.”
El Paso was recently awarded an additional $4.39 million in federal funding to help address the surge in immigration the region is experiencing, according to a release from the city of El Paso.
“This funding is in addition to FEMA’s $6 million EFSP approved on December 13, bringing the total pledged funding to $10.39 million. A release from the city said.
