A new “tent compound” is being constructed in McAllen, Texas, to house COVID-infected illegal immigrants as the border crisis has released “an alarming number of immigrants” into the community, according to reports.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin reported Thursday, “According to a city of McAllen press release, this tent compound is to house illegal immigrants released from federal custody who have tested positive for COVID-19.”
UPDATE: According to a city of McAllen press release, this tent compound is to house illegal immigrants released from federal custody who have tested positive for COVID-19. https://t.co/nj1nffPVo9
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) August 5, 2021
KVEO-TV reported, “The location of the temporary emergency shelters housing COVID positive migrants will be moved from 23rd street in Mcallen to a Hidalgo County property near Customs and Border Protection operations.”
City of McAllen approves temporary emergency shelter to move location pic.twitter.com/KGZfhJui0m
— City of McAllen, TX (@CityofMcAllen) August 5, 2021
McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos said in a Facebook video, “I know y’all are angry, and we get the calls, we get the texts, we get the emails.”
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He added, “But look, I ask you to please do not misplace your anger. It is not our commission that’s responsible for this. They did what they had to do to protect each and every one of you.”
“The Commission rightfully chose to protect our citizens. Place blame where it belongs, not on our municipality, county, or our state. Place it squarely on your President, Congress, and Senate,” he said in the caption of the Facebook post.
City of McAllen approves temporary emergency shelter to move location pic.twitter.com/KGZfhJui0m
— City of McAllen, TX (@CityofMcAllen) August 5, 2021
The city’s release noted, “At the beginning of July, the Respite Center saw an average of 750 people per day. That number, over the course of the month, escalated to over 1,100 people per day, and so far in August has surged to over 1,900 people per day.”
It added, “Under Catholic Charities’ current protocol, immigrants are tested for COVID-19 at AMR. Once the immigrants are tested, they are divided into two groups. Those that test negative are admitted to the Respite Center; those that test positive are transported from the AMR testing facility to quarantine sites in the Rio Grande Valley area.”
The construction of the original location was noted on Wednesday.
“The city of McAllen has started constructing emergency shelters for illegal immigrants released by Border Patrol. The city says the federal government is releasing ‘an alarming number of immigrants into McAllen, and that the feds aren’t testing them for COVID,'” Melugin tweeted concerning Border Patrol.
BREAKING: The city of McAllen has started constructing emergency shelters for illegal immigrants released by Border Patrol. The city says the federal government is releasing “an alarming number of immigrants into McAllen, and that the feds aren’t testing them for COVID. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/hy9TbKtgCM
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) August 4, 2021
This week, Breitbart News reported, “On Tuesday afternoon, employees from the City of McAllen began pitching khaki-colored tents similar to ones used by Border Patrol in their detention facilities known as TOPS. The employees also put up a white tent with a sign from the Mercedes Fire Department.”
The report added, “A spokesman from the Department of Homeland Security said federal officials are not involved in any tent cities inside the city of McAllen. Breitbart Texas was also told by Hidalgo County officials that they have no formal involvement with the camp.”
The city’s news release, meanwhile, said, “Despite the City of McAllen and its community partners’ best efforts, the sheer number of immigrants being released into the city has become a crisis: a crisis the City of McAllen did not create and has proactively tried to avoid for seven years.”
It added, “Now, with the drastic, unexpected increase of immigrants arriving to McAllen, the City Commission’s first priority is to protect the health and safety of the residents they serve.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
