Attempt to Transfer Migrants Out of Texas Ends Poorly

The chants heard yesterday included "USA!" but it wasn't a World Cup scene. Southern California protesters were also shouting "Deport, Deport!" and "Go home" at three buses carrying undocumented immigrants—a large number of them women and children from Central America—who had recently entered the US via Texas. They had been flown to San Diego and were headed to the Murrieta Border Patrol station where the roughly 140 people aboard were to be processed; the Los Angeles Times reports supervised release was to follow in advance of an immigration court appearance. But the protesters blocked the road and were able to force the buses to turn around and head back toward San Diego. CNN reports they were instead taken to a border station in San Ysidro.

As CNN explains, Texas facilities are jam-packed, due in part to an influx of immigrant children, leading detainees to be sent out of state for processing. KFMB reports this was the first of a number of planned transfers, and Murrieta's police chief says his expectation is that 140 immigrants will be arriving in his town every three days—with another group due to get in on Friday. The town's mayor is none too pleased: On Monday, Alan Long encouraged residents to protest the decision; the city had managed to block two previous plans to send detainees to its border station, he noted. (More migrants stories.)