Anticipating a surge in border crossings amid cold temperatures, El Paso declares a state of emergency

Hundreds of migrants wait in line along the banks of the Rio Grande to seek asylum in the U.S. on Dec. 12. On Saturday, days before Title 42 was expected to be lifted, El Paso’s mayor declared a state of emergency, citing an increase in migrants and cold weather. (Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune)

El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser issued an emergency declaration Saturday night to address the increase in migrants crossing the southern border, citing the dangerous winter conditions and shelters lacking the capacity to meet the demand next week.

With the federal health order known as Title 42 — which was used during the COVID-19 pandemic to quickly expel migrants — set to expire Wednesday, El Paso officials hope to leverage the emergency declaration to unlock additional resources and expand available shelters for migrants as evening temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing in the coming week.