Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were reported at an East El Paso residential construction site Friday morning, marking at least the third immigration enforcement operation reported across the Borderland this week.
Social Media Videos Draw Attention to ICE Presence
Courtesy: Photo by El Paso Times
Videos and photos circulating on social media showed several agents approaching construction workers at a housing development south of Montana Avenue near Mager Drive. Witnesses at the scene told the El Paso Times they did not observe any workers being detained, though agents were seen stopping individuals and requesting documentation.
“As of 8:45 A.M., ICE Agents are apprehending workers constructing the new developments south of Montana (between Tierra Este and Mager.) Avoid the areas if possible,” FitFam El Paso wrote in an initial post Friday. A follow-up update at 9:10 a.m. showed Texas Department of Transportation vehicles also traveling through the area.Witnesses describe heavy law enforcement presence
Horizon City resident Bobby Mares said he watched as multiple law enforcement vehicles arrived at the active construction site, where dozens of new homes are currently under development.
Courtesy: photo by You Tube
“There was probably about 10 to 15 vehicles here, and they just were driving around stopping people and asking them for their documentation. I didn’t see anyone get detained, and people just showed them their documentation and that was it,” Mares said.
Mares described the neighborhood as nearly empty after the agents left, calling it a “ghost town.” He also said a helicopter circled overhead during the operation but noted that he did not witness any confrontations between workers and authorities.
A construction worker at the site identified Palo Verde Homes as the builder responsible for the subdivision.
Another Horizon City resident, Alberto Valles, said the presence of ICE agents has created fear among workers, particularly those without legal documentation, and he expects similar activity to continue as development in the area expands.
“I feel badly for those individuals that don’t have proper documentation because they do get scared when ICE arrives. And I do think with all this construction there will be more raids,” Valles said.
Friday’s activity follows at least two other ICE operations reported earlier this week in the Borderland. As of Friday afternoon, ICE had not released any official information regarding the East El Paso operation, including whether citations or arrests were made.
Originally reported by Natassia Paloma and Kristian Jaime,El Paso Times in El Paso Times.