U.S. builds sprawling tent city outside El Paso for migrants
A huge ‘tent city’ for migrants entering the US from Mexico is under construction on the fringes of El Paso as officials scramble to prepare for a surge in crossings when Title 42 ends, Daily Mail reports.
The massive processing facility, which covers an area the size of several football fields, is being built in a patch of desert about 20 miles northeast of downtown El Paso.
Trucks carrying equipment and machinery have been making regular deliveries to the site in recent days.
Security guards told DailyMail.com the facility could be in place for 'a few weeks or six months, we don't know' - and it won't be ready to use until around January 10.
The Supreme Court issued a last-minute ruling on Tuesday afternoon to say Title 42 will stay in place until legal battles are heard in court in 2023. It was previously due to expire as early as midnight on Tuesday.
Workmen on Tuesday morning were completing the main, soft-side tent which runs the length of around two football fields. Other tents were also under construction around the main structure.
The speed and scale of the operation reveals the massive steps border patrol authorities are taking to prevent chaos when Title 42 does eventually end.
Several more of the facilities could also be constructed around El Paso in the coming days and weeks.
Around the site, rows of shipping containers and makeshift offices were set up for workers and managers to coordinate the rapid construction operation.
Wheel loaders and other heavy machinery have been preparing the land, which is just off a section of the US-54 highway near the neighborhood of Mesquite Hills. A huge perimeter fence was also being built around the facility.
The area is being closely watched by guards who said they hadn’t been told exact details of what’s going on at the site. One said they were old told they’d be covering a security job - but bosses have remained tight-lipped about the work that’s taking place.
The site could be open ‘for a few weeks or six months - we don’t know’, one guard said.
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