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- There was a standoff Sunday between migrants and Customs and Border Protection officers that blocked off the Paso Del Norte international bridge.
- Migrants demanded entry into the U.S.
- CBP officers stood behind concrete and plastic barriers topped with barbwire during the standoff.
EL PASO, Texas – A standoff between hundreds of migrants and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in riot gear Sunday afternoon blocked the Paso Del Norte international bridge connecting El Paso and the Mexican border city Juárez.
There were also temporary disruptions when groups of migrants showed up at two other border bridges in El Paso, a border protection spokesman said in a statement. Barricades were used at the Stanton Bridge from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. and at the Bridge of the Americas from 2:45 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
At the Paso Del Norte Bridge, officers stood behind concrete and plastic barriers topped with barbed wire blocking the border at the middle of the top of the bridge before what appeared to be hundreds of migrants.
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About 1:30 p.m., the border protection agency’s Mobile Field Force, a riot control team, was deployed when a large group of migrants threatened to make a mass entry, the agency said. A special response team and U.S. Border Patrol agents assisted border protection officers.
By 5:30 p.m., most of the crowd had returned to Mexico, but the bridge remained closed to vehicle traffic as pedestrians could be seen walking to the port of entry. Mexican National Guard troops stood watch on the southern side of the border. By 6:30 p.m., the bridge had reopened to vehicles.
Why did the rush happen?
The migrants, who were of various nationalities but mainly Venezuelans, were demanding entry into the U.S. amid rumors that the border would be opened for express asylum, the Norte Digital news website reported from Juárez.
Some of the migrants could be heard on videos during the bridge rush saying Customs and Border Protection’s online asylum application launched this year was not working properly.
Crowds of migrants had been gathering at the Mexican foot of the bridge since the morning before the tidal wave of people ran to the border at the top of the bridge.
Similar standoffs have occurred in recent years on the Paso Del Norte Bridge as groups of migrants hoping for asylum try enter the United States, usually spurred by false rumors that the border will be opened to them.
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