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Del Río–Ciudad Acuña International Bridge

Coordinates: 29°19′36.32″N 100°55′39.05″W / 29.3267556°N 100.9275139°W / 29.3267556; -100.9275139
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Del Río – Ciudad Acuña International Bridge
Coordinates29°19′36.32″N 100°55′39.05″W / 29.3267556°N 100.9275139°W / 29.3267556; -100.9275139
CrossesRio Grande
LocaleDel Rio, Texas and Ciudad Acuña
OwnerCity of Del Rio
Characteristics
Total length2,035 feet (620 m)
History
Opened1930
Rebuilt1987
Location
Map

The Del Río–Ciudad Acuña International Bridge is an international bridge which crosses the Rio Grande connecting the United States-Mexico border cities of Del Rio, Texas and Ciudad Acuña. The bridge is also known as "Del Río International Bridge", "Puente Acuña" and "Puente Ciudad Acuña-Ciudad Del Río".[1]

Description

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The American side of the Del Río–Ciudad Acuña International Bridge is currently owned by the City of Del Rio, which also manages it. The bridge was constructed in 1930 and rebuilt in 1987. The bridge is four-lane wide by 2,035 feet (620 m) long and includes two sidewalks for pedestrians.[1]

Border crossing

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Main article: Del Rio Texas Port of Entry

The Del Rio Texas Port of Entry is located at the Del Río – Ciudad Acuña International Bridge. The current port of entry facility was rebuilt by the General Services Administration in 2004.

2021 Del Rio Bridge migrant surge

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In mid-September 2021, a large group of migrants, almost all from Haiti, attempted to enter the U.S. by crossing the shallow Rio Grande and seeking shelter beneath the bridge, where they lived in unhealthy conditions. The crowd grew from a few hundred to thousands within a week, initially overwhelming authorities.[2][3] By September 24, 2021, all of the approximately 15,000 migrants were cleared from their encampment underneath the bridge: the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported that about 8,000 migrants "decided to return to Mexico voluntarily"; 2,000 migrants were expelled to Haiti on 17 DHS-organized flights, and 5,000 were placed in DHS processing "to determine whether they will be expelled or placed in immigration removal proceedings."[4] The U.S. authorities sought to deter more people from rushing the border.[5] Some of the migrants are applying for asylum in the U.S.[5] Of those permitted to remain in the U.S. pending hearings (a process that could take several years due to persistent immigration court backlogs), some were permitted to go to New York, Boston and Miami.[5][6] The Biden administration's handling of the migrants was criticized by both immigration advocates (who pressed for more migrants to be allowed to stay in the U.S.)[5] and conservatives (who referred to the incident as Whip Gate).[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b TxDOT Transportation Planning; Border Crossings
  2. ^ Jaclyn Diaz (September 17, 2021). "In Texas, Officials Are Reporting A Surge Of Migrants At The Southern Border This Week". NPR.
  3. ^ James Dobbins; Eileen Sullivan; Edgar Sandoval (September 16, 2021). "Thousands of Migrants Huddle in Squalid Conditions Under Texas Bridge". New York Times.
  4. ^ Felicia Sonmez, All migrants have been cleared from encampment in Del Rio, Tex., homeland security secretary says, Washington Post (September 24, 2021).
  5. ^ a b c d Thousands of Haitian Migrants to Stay in U.S.", The New York Times. September 23, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  6. ^ "Haitian migrants from border camp moved to Houston, other cities, US officials confirm", KHOU. September 22, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  7. ^ "Katie Pavlich: The Biden Administration is Actively Inhibiting Border Patrol's Ability to do Their Job". 25 April 2022.


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