U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is responding to the recent upsurge in illegal border crossers along our Southwest border with today’s opening of the Tornillo-Guadalupe, Texas, Temporary Holding Facility.
The temporary facility – at the CBP Tornillo-Guadalupe Port of Entry in Tornillo, Texas, 40 miles east of El Paso – can hold up to 500 people and will be in place for 30 days, pending any changes in the volume of people arriving at the ports or crossing the border between the ports in the El Paso area until they are transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“In addition to securing our borders and enforcing our immigration laws, CBP is committed to treating all people in our facilities humanely,” said the El Paso Field Office Director Hector Mancha.
“CBP’s officers and agents are rising to this challenge with professionalism while maintaining efficient border operations.”
The temporary facility will offer overflow processing support to CBP’s ports of entry and Border Patrol stations in the El Paso area.
CBP will process the Unaccompanied Alien Children and Family Units and once processing is complete, CBP will transfer them over to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Due to ICE ERO constraints, some individuals may be required to stay in CBP processing for up to 72 hours.
CBP is continuing to work with other federal and international agencies to discourage potential illegal border crossers from embarking on the dangerous trip to enter the U.S. illegally.
“Our message to people thinking about crossing our borders illegally remains: Don’t risk your lives,” said El Paso Sector Chief Jeffrey Self.
“Smugglers are not your friends. Don’t put your lives in their hands.”
To learn more about the dangers of illegal border crossings, go to:
CBP Releases Terrifying Teen Human Trafficking Testimonial (Video)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry.
CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
