As the border crisis worsens, late last week American citizens were stunned at the release of drone footage showing huge groups of migrants crossing into Rio Grande River. Border agents provide no intervention; their compatriots on the Mexican side of the border did nothing as well. Most of these migrants were from Haiti, and they have been rounded up to huddle beneath a bridge in Del Rio. The migrants are throwing up tents and other makeshift shelters. The exact number of the migrants staying under the bridge is unknown, but the area under the bridge is full to the brim. Further video shows heavy equipment clearing dirt pads, which viewers speculate is further “housing” for these migrants. Reports from the ground state that there are entirely family units stranded under the bridge. There are small children, and many women are visibly pregnant.
To add insult to injury, the Federal Aviation Administration had handed down a ban on the drones Fox News had flown over the Del Rio bridge. This was considered odd, according to Fox News correspondent Bill Melguin, who related that for the past seven months drones had been utilized by the news network in order to show the public exactly what is meant by the headline “The Crisis at the Border.” The FAA stated that the drones posed a threat to helicopters and other border patrol aviation, but after some protest from the network, the FAA lifted the ban. This led to the footage showing the hordes of migrants crossing the river and heading to the bridge in Del Rio. Reporters state that more migrants continue to come. Agents on horseback seem powerless to do anything other than head the migrants to the tent city under the bridge.
Fox News’ Bill Melguin was able to go up in a helicopter later on Friday to get a better view of the stranded individuals. Melguin himself called the pictures of the thousands of Haitian migrants streaming into the area as “pretty bizarre.” He also pointed out that there is a “constant stream of people crossing illegally right beneath (the bridge). The helicopter went over the International Bridge, which runs through Del Rio and connects the United States to Mexico. When looking at the aerial footage, one can see that people are literally packed under the bridge. This led to speculation that the heavy equipment cleaning up areas near the bridge would host any other Haitian migrants that came over the border over the weekend. At present, there are caravans picking up pregnant women and children who were initially under the International Bridge. No one can tell news correspondents exactly where those individuals are going, however. The mayor of Del Rio made a point of telling news reporters that the border patrol had not detained anyone under the bridge.
