The US government of Joe Biden announced on Saturday that it would accelerate the pace of expulsions by plane of more than 10,000 migrants, especially Haitians, gathered for several days under a bridge in Texas after crossing the border from Mexico.

These migrants arrived in Del Rio, Texas, crossing the Rio Grande River.

From less than 2,000 at the start of the week, they were more than 10,500 on Friday, according to figures communicated by the mayor of this border town, Bruno Lozano, who expects many new arrivals.

In a statement, the US Department of Homeland Security announced that it would "obtain additional transportation to accelerate the pace and increase the capacity of deportation flights to Haiti and other destinations" within the next 72 hours.

The spectacular images of these migrants massed under a bridge in the heat have in recent days pushed the Republican opposition but also Democratic voices to urge Joe Biden to resolve the situation without delay.

The Democratic mayor of Del Rio declared a state of emergency and closed the bridge to traffic on Friday.

In addition to the political unrest and insecurity that already affected Haiti, in August a deadly earthquake devastated the southwest of the country, killing more than 2,200 inhabitants.

650,000 people, including 260,000 children and adolescents, continue to need "emergency humanitarian aid", according to Unicef.

The US border police, CBP, sent 400 additional agents to "improve surveillance of the area," said the Department of Homeland Security, unveiling Saturday a plan to contain the situation.

The ministry was already carrying out "deportations as well as flights to Haiti, Mexico, Ecuador and the countries of the northern triangle", Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, he said.

The Biden administration recalled "that our borders are not open and that no one should take this dangerous trip", as in response to criticism from Republicans who accuse the Democratic president of creating a draft by promising a policy “more human” migration.

"Migration crisis"

"Illegal immigration poses a significant threat to the health and well-being of residents close to the border and to the lives of migrants themselves," the ministry insisted in its press release.

Border guards claimed to have distributed drinking water, towels and portable toilets to migrants.

"The vast majority of migrants continue to be deported under" a health rule adopted at the start of the pandemic to limit the spread of the virus, said Homeland Security.

A federal judge, however, ordered the government on Thursday not to return families in this context, which could complicate the task of the authorities, already faced with historic migratory flows on the border with Mexico.

The government appealed the decision on Friday.

Among the other migrants, those who do not have "legal reasons to stay" are subject to the ordinary regime of expulsions, the statement said.

On Friday, some 2,000 migrants were sent to other centers so that the border police could “quickly” process their cases and “deport” them if necessary.

More than 1.3 million migrants have been arrested at the border with Mexico since Joe Biden arrived at the White House in January, a level not seen in 20 years.

The Republican opposition has accused President Biden for months of causing a "migration crisis" by relaxing the measures of his predecessor Donald Trump, who had made the fight against illegal immigration his hobbyhorse.

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