El Paso bridge rush: Rumor over free pass into US could have fueled Texas stampede

Anna Giaritelli

March 13, 09:49 PM March 13, 09:49 PM

A rush of immigrants over an international bridge that connects the United States and Mexico by way of El Paso, Texas, this weekend appears to have been fueled by a rumor of a free pass into the U.S. and frustrations over a new Biden administration app.

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), whose district includes part of West Texas’s El Paso region, said immigrants in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez were told by unspecific sources that Sunday was the “day of the migrant” celebration and that they would be allowed to enter the U.S freely.

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Gonzales said he spoke with a U.S. border official in El Paso who heard from immigrants during a debrief that they had been under the impression that they could temporarily cross the border.

Some immigrants told media on site that they had waited in Mexico for months and grown frustrated with the recently announced phone app CBP One, which the Biden administration instructed immigrants earlier this year to use to seek refuge in the U.S. However, many immigrants have complained that the app required them to travel hundreds of miles for appointments with U.S. customs officials or that it was not working due to technical issues.

Several hundred immigrants were filmed running through the Mexican customs checkpoints on the south side of the bridge and toward the center of the bridge, where U.S. federal police in riot gear had placed barricades to prevent people from passing through what is normally a road for vehicular traffic.

"It was just madness," Gonzales said in a phone call with the Washington Examiner on Monday. "Just when you think you can't get any crazier, it does. And like I said, the biggest loser are the Americans in El Paso that are just trying to live their lives going over to Mexico to visit their family or shop."

Gonzales said U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers who inspect incoming traffic had previously trained for this type of event and were prepared for what happened.

“They knew months ago that it was only a matter of time when they were going to have to execute kind of securing the port like they did yesterday,” Gonzales said.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), whose district is immediately east of Gonzales's, praised CBP's Office of Field Operations officers for responding appropriately and with no additional violence.

“I’m concerned about the situation that unfolded yesterday in El Paso," Cuellar said in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner. "While we gather the details on the activity that took place, such as how many of the migrants tried to cross, their purpose for crossing, and what led to this organized event, I applaud the men and women in blue for handling the situation professionally and effectively.”

Gonzales added what happened Sunday could be indicative of what is to come in mid-May when pandemic public health restrictions that barred immigrants from seeking asylum at the ports of entry conclude after three years. Gonzales said Sunday’s rush at the bridge could be a “precursor” for May.

"The administration has to take notice of what's happening here. They have to take some responsibility," Gonzales said.

Cuellar, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, said he will push for additional funding and personnel amid the ongoing immigration crisis at the southern border.

"We must ensure that these situations do not repeat themselves," Cuellar said.

House Republican Tony Gonzales to face censure vote after recent vote split from party

Misty Severi

March 03, 07:14 PM March 03, 07:14 PM

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) remained defiant ahead of a censure vote on Saturday after he recently split from the Republican Party on several issues, including protections for gay marriage and a bipartisan gun law.

Gonzales stood by his votes on the gun law, the rejection of a border security proposal from Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), and the bill that codifies same-sex marriage on Thursday.

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“If the vote was today, I would vote twice on it if I could,” Gonzales said in response to the gun safety law, which includes expanded background checks and was passed after the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas. Gonzales was the only conservative Texas lawmaker to support the legislation.

The censure resolution was introduced and passed by Medina County last month, which requested the state party also vote on the legislation. Gonzales said he does not plan to attend the vote on Saturday, citing his leadership of a congressional delegation to the Mexican border in Eagle Pass and Uvalde on Monday, according to the Texas Tribune. Other counties have also passed legislation to censure Gonzales.

The resolution alleges Gonzales violated the party's principles by voting for the gun law and opposing Roy’s border legislation. For the resolution to pass, it would need three-fifths of the party's votes during the meeting. The resolution would allow the Texas Republican Party to use its own funds to inform primary voters of the censure.

Gonzales dismissed criticism of his votes on Thursday, arguing that his voting record in Congress has often aligned with the party.

“The reality is I’ve taken almost 1,400 votes, and the bulk of those have been with the Republican Party,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2020. He was reelected by double digits in 2022 after redistricting maps made his constituency more conservative.

The Washington Examiner has reached out to Gonzales's office for comment.