A U.S. Border Patrol agent was shot at by a person in Mexico on Thursday near San Elizario, according to the federal Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency.
The Context
Immigration has become a top political issue over the past few years, with 9.8 million migrant encounters recorded between October 2019 and January 2024, according to figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. On April 12, Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that 507,200 suspected undocumented migrants had been detained in his state since 2021 when he launched Operation Lone Star to combat illegal crossings.
A poll conducted on April 11 exclusively for Newsweek found just 20 percent of eligible American voters think the U.S. has "control over its borders," while 63 percent said that they disagree, and another 13 percent answered, "don't know."
Notably, of those who answered "no," 53 percent said they voted for Joe Biden in 2020.
What We Know
Thursday's shooting took place before 1:30 p.m. by the Mexico-U.S. border close to the San Elizario area, according to The El Paso Times. There were no reports of any injuries.
In a statement provided to Newsweek the CBP said: "On April 25, 2024, a Border Patrol agent assigned to the El Paso Sector was involved in a use of force incident near the border.
"The incident is under review by Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility. Additional information will be shared as it becomes available."
Speaking to The El Paso Times, a "law enforcement source" said the assailant opened fire from "the Mexican side" of the border. No information about the suspect has been provided.
Newsweek reached out to the Mexican Secretariat for Home Affairs by email at 5:50 a.m. ET on Friday.
Views
Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has made tightening security along the U.S.-Mexico border a key plank of his bid for a second White House term.
Speaking earlier this month, he said: "The suburban housewives actually like Donald Trump, you know why, because I'm the one who's gonna keep them safe ... If you don't want illegal aliens crawling through your windows and ransacking your drawers, then you must vote for .. the fact that we have to throw crooked Joe Biden out of office."
The Biden administration has blamed House Republicans for the current situation at the border, pointing to the GOP refusing to back a bill aimed at strengthening security in February. Republicans argued that bill didn't go far enough.
Update 4/26/24, 11:41 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is covering U.S. politics and world ... Read more
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