Paso del Norte International Bridge

The Paso del Norte International Bridge is an international bridge which crosses the Rio Grande (Río Bravo) connecting the United States-Mexico border cities of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. The bridge is also known as "Paso del Norte Bridge", "Santa Fe Street Bridge", "Puente Benito Juárez", "Puente Paso del Norte" and "Puente Juárez-Santa Fe". The Paso del Norte International Bridge is a four-lane bridge for northbound non-commercial traffic only. The bridge was constructed in 1967. The American side of the bridge is owned and operated by the City of El Paso.[1]

Paso del Norte International Bridge

Puente Benito Juárez
Paso Del Norte POE El Paso Texas
Coordinates31°44′52″N 106°29′13″W
CrossesRio Grande
LocaleEl Paso, Texas
Official namePaso del Norte Bridge
Other name(s)Santa Fe Street Bridge
OwnerCity of El Paso
Characteristics
No. of lanes4
History
Opened1967
Location

On March 26, 2019, dozens of illegal immigrants were captured by United States Customs and Border Protection agents, who had insufficient space for them in local holding facilities. So they erected chainlink fencing and concertina wire under the bridge to construct a "transitional shelter" to detain them.[2][3] As of March 30, hundreds of immigrants were sleeping on dirt and rocks, with mylar blankets, portable toilets and plastic portable sinks.[4]

By mid-June, conditions had worsened, with between 100 and 150 detainees reporting most have been held for over a month, without being allowed to bathe or change clothing, in temperatures exceeding 100 °F (38 °C).[5]

Border crossing
Main article: El Paso PDN Port of Entry

The El Paso Paso del Norte (PDN) Port of Entry is among the United States' busiest border crossings. More than 10 million people enter the US from Mexico each year at this location. Upon arrival, the admissibility of each person is determined by an officer of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Frequently the vehicle and/or possessions of those entering the US are inspected by CBP in an effort to prevent contraband from being brought into the US.

References
  1. TxDOT Transportation Planning; Border Crossings
  2. Delgado, Edwin (28 March 2019). "'Nowhere to hold them': exhausted migrants crowded under a bridge in Texas". The Guardian.
  3. "Migrants Being Housed Under the Paso Del Norte International Bridge in El Paso". El Paso Times. March 27, 2019.
  4. Flores, Adolfo (March 30, 2019). "The US Is Holding Hundreds Of Shivering Immigrants In A Pen Underneath A Texas Bridge". BuzzFeed News.
  5. Moore, Robert (11 June 2019). "In El Paso, Border Patrol Is Detaining Migrants in 'a Human Dog Pound'". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
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31°44′51.54″N 106°29′13.12″W

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