The city of Eagle Pass, Texas, is grappling with a surge in migrant-related emergencies, leading to a significant strain on its resources, according to Fire Chief Manuel Mello.
The city's fire department is responding to nearly one migrant-related emergency every hour, either at the Rio Grande or a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) holding facility. This has resulted in an additional daily expenditure of approximately $21,000.
"We are constantly called to the river's edge to transport patients, and the city bears the brunt of the cost," Mello disclosed to Fox News. Since mid-September, the Eagle Pass Fire Department has been responding to an average of 45 EMS calls daily, with around 30 of these calls related to migrants. This is a significant increase from the previous average of 30 calls per day.
Each call costs the department an estimated $700, meaning that the migrant-related responses alone amount to "approximately $21,000 in total" each day, Mello explained. The nature of these calls varies widely, ranging from minor injuries to severe medical conditions. "We respond to everything from minor cuts and bruises to hypothermia, heart attacks, broken bones, and even childbirth," Mello said. "All these patients are migrants."
The influx of migrants has also put a strain on the city's healthcare system. "Sometimes the hospital gets overwhelmed, and we're waiting 20 to 30 minutes with a patient inside the ambulance for a bed because we only have one hospital," Mello added.
The southern border has seen a record number of migrant encounters this month. Over 10,000 migrants were being held in CBP facilities around Eagle Pass, according to Rep. Tony Gonzalez, who represents the area. He noted that around 4,000 crossed into the city on Dec. 20 alone.
Despite the escalating costs, the city has not received any funding to address the situation. "There's no funding for this period," Mello said. "So the city loses money right there."
The federal government has not reimbursed Eagle Pass for expenses incurred due to the migrant surge, Gonzalez confirmed. The city has also lost over $500,000 responding to migrant-related incidents this year, according to Eagle Pass Assistant Fire Chief Rodulfo Cardona.
The migrant surge has also impacted local businesses. December's surge prompted CBP to close an international railroad crossing from Eagle Pass into Piedras Negras, Mexico, to redirect personnel to assist the U.S. Border Patrol with taking migrants into custody. This has resulted in a decrease in shoppers from Mexico, further impacting the city's economy.
"The federal government has to put its foot down and say no more migrants coming in," Mello told Fox News. "The government needs to step it up and stop this madness."
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