Hundreds of migrants crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally early Tuesday, with a group of them even stopping to take photos at a section of border wall near Jacumba, California, Fox News video shows.
The migrants, most of whom were single adult males, walked past the Mexican military on the Mexican side of the border and then snuck through a hole in the border wall without any resistance.
The migrants hailed from nations from all over the world such as Nepal, India, Vietnam, China and Mauritania.
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Video captured by Fox News shows hundreds of illegal migrants casually crossing the southern border Monday night with a group of them taking celebratory photos at the border wall. (Fox News)
Some of the migrants who crossed Tuesday came from countries Border Patrol believes pose national security concerns to the U.S., known as Special Interest Aliens (SIAs). These migrants are supposed to receive additional Homeland Security vetting during processing, though that has proven difficult because many of these countries do not share databases or records with the U.S.
The migrants, who appeared well-dressed and carrying cell phones, asked the Fox News border team for directions to Border Patrol so they could be processed, with only two officers seen on the ground to meet them.
As the migrants waited to be picked up, many of them jubilantly took photos of themselves in front of the border wall in California to celebrate reaching the U.S.
When the sun broke Tuesday morning, torn-up documents from Indian nationals could be seen discarded on the ground at the border while migrants from Colombia and China were waiting to be picked up by Border Patrol.
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Fox News’ Bill Melugin speaks to illegal migrants at the border (Fox News)
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond said the footage was “insane” and warned of dire consequences for letting the illegal migrants cross.
“Total chaos and soon will be dropped on the streets of San Diego,” Desmond posted on X.
Desmond tells Fox News Digital he believes illegal border crossers pose a national security risk to the nation.
“We don’t know who these people are, or where they’re going… no one should be allowed to cross illegally into the United States,” Desmond said.
In the last 24 hours at the border, sources told Fox there were 5,200 encounters, and it has averaged over 5,000 every day for the past week. There were 179,725 encounters at the southern border in April, compared to 211,992 in April 2023, and 189,357 in March. While those numbers are lower than highs seen in 2022 and 2023, they still remain high compared to pre-2021 numbers.
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The video was shot hours before the White House announced long-awaited executive actions to stop illegal immigrants at the southern border claiming asylum once the number of average border encounters exceeds 2,500 a day over seven days, officials said. That will stay in effect until 14 days after there has been a seven-day average of less than 1,500 encounters along the border.
Officials said it would make it easier for immigration officers to quickly remove individuals who do not have a legal basis to remain in the U.S.
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The migrants appeared well-dressed and carrying cell phones. (Fox News)
Former President Donald Trump weighed in on Biden’s executive action, claiming it will do nothing to stop migrants flooding across the border.
“Crooked Joe Biden has totally surrendered our Southern Border,” Trump said on Truth Social. “His weakness and extremism have resulted in a border invasion like we have never seen before. Other countries have emptied out their prisons, insane asylums, and mental institutions, and sent us drug dealers, human traffickers, and terrorists.”
“The fact is Joe Biden’s executive order will not stop the invasion, it’s weak and its pathetic, it will actually make the invasion worse.”
Desmond also railed against Biden’s executive action.
“Why are we going to let 2500 people cross illegally? That’s like saying we will allow 2500 car thefts before we do anything about it,” Desmond told Fox News Digital.
“This administration’s disregard for our safety and security is appalling. The reality here in San Diego is dire, and the president’s empty gestures do nothing to address the ongoing crisis. We need urgent, comprehensive action, not more political theater.”
Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
