Over 100 suspected Tren de Aragua members participated in ‘riot’ at the border: Gov Abbott

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) revealed on Monday that more than 100 suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were identified within the massive group that stormed the southern border in El Paso, Texas, in March.

During a press conference in Houston, Abbott announced, in response to TDA’s expanded presence within the United States, a “comprehensive, statewide operation that will aggressively target the dangerous” group.

'Texas is aggressively going after these foreign terrorist organizations.'

As part of the mission, the governor designated the gang a terrorist organization. The Texas Department of Public Safety has been instructed to elevate TDA to a Tier 1 gang. The agency will also create a TDA Strike Team dedicated to rooting out the criminal organization. TDA members caught illegally smuggling people into the state could face a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence.

“The recent entry and expansion of the vicious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, is a dangerous and deadly problem facing our state and nation,” Abbott remarked.

“Our goal is to defend Texas from the growing threat of the gang. We will not let them use Texas as a base of operations to terrorize our citizens. They have a target on their back, and we are going after them. Texas is the wrong state for them to try to do business in,” he said.

Earlier this year, law enforcement agents at the El Paso border were bombarded by a large group of unruly illegal aliens who attempted to push past them on their way into the U.S. Footage of the incident, captured by the New York Post, showed the group of primarily adult men tearing down the concertina wire near Gate 36, which is not a designated port of entry.

As a result of the incident, 211 individuals received riot participation charges. However, El Paso County Judge Ruben Morales dismissed the charges in May, Blaze News previously reported. The suspects were released and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody to face federal illegal entry charges.

An ICE spokesperson previously revealed to the Post that many of the suspects were released into the interior of the country, others were deported, and some remained in custody.

On Monday, Abbott revealed that suspected TDA members were believed to be a part of the incident.

He stated, “Earlier this year, more than 100 suspected TdA members were arrested after the riots at the El Paso border, when immigrants assaulted the Texas National Guard.”

“Texas is aggressively going after these foreign terrorist organizations of TdA,” Abbott added.

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Tren de Aragua takeovers appear to expand to Texas hotel — police receive nearly 700 calls

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The violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has expanded its presence to a downtown El Paso, Texas, hotel, according to local reports.

The El Paso County Attorney's Office recently filed a temporary injunction and restraining order against the Gateway Hotel, a condemned lodging establishment. The county has claimed that the unlawful occupancy at the property is a public nuisance, KVIA reported.

'Men holding knives and another man with a hatchet assaulting people.'

The hotel was condemned in 2015 and picked up by a new owner, who applied for a temporary occupancy permit in 2018. However, that permit expired that year, and the owner did not apply for another one, according to KVIA.

Additionally, an August fire code inspection found 20 violations and noted that the "building has no current certificate of occupancy." Despite that, police have reportedly received nearly 700 calls about illegal activity and code violations at the hotel since 2022.

The county's legal filing claimed that individuals, including TDA gang members, have taken up unlawful residence at the property. Images taken from a surveillance video showed people armed with knives and fighting in the hall of the hotel.

According to the county attorney, other images showed "people partying, drinking, smoking and dancing provocatively while children are present ... at least one gun being shot ... men holding knives and another man with a hatchet assaulting people and causing damage to the hotel in front of a security guard."

The county attorney called the video footage evidence of the building's "deplorable state."

The nearly 700 calls to local authorities detailed illegal activity, including drug use, theft, sexual assaults, stabbings, and an unattended death.

"There should be concern due to the establishment and rise of the Venezuelan criminal organization 'Tren de Aragua' at the Gateway Hotel. We discovered several Venezuelans have the tattoo identifiers of Tren de Aragua," an El Paso police officer warned.

Local news outlets out of Aurora, Colorado, documented similar instances of TDA members taking over apartments, Blaze News previously reported. Last month, KDVR shared a video of five armed men storming through a complex and another video of a man using a hammer to destroy a deadbolt lock on an apartment door in the same building. Former residents explained that TDA took over the property shortly after illegal immigrants started to move in. The owner of one of those apartments has recently agreed to sell or lease the property to settle a city lawsuit.

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Blaze News investigates: Texas seeks to shut down NGO for alleged involvement in human smuggling

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Many non-governmental organizations have been raking in massive profits under the Biden-Harris administration's open border policies, receiving billions in taxpayer funds to provide illegal immigrants with various services, including shelter accommodations, healthcare, food, legal services, job training, language courses, and more.

Due to the administration's refusal to shut down the border and unrelenting dedication to expanding so-called "lawful pathways" for foreign nationals, the country's immigration system has become overwhelmed. This unprecedented situation has allowed the federal government to justify pouring massive resources into NGOs, functioning less as nonprofits and more like government contractors.

Problematically, some of these organizations appear to be keen on not only helping illegal immigrants who are already here, but also on helping more immigrants illegally cross the border.

Texas, however, is leading the charge in pushing back against one of these NGOs, the El Paso-based nonprofit Annunciation House.

Earlier this year, Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) filed a lawsuit against Annunciation House, aiming to shut it down after he claimed his office found overwhelming and undeniable evidence that the organization has "by its own admissions," facilitated illegal immigration.

Annunciation House did not respond to repeated requests for comment for this story.

What is Annunciation House?

According to Annunciation House's website, it is a volunteer organization "rooted in Catholic social teaching" that provides "hospitality to migrants, immigrants, and refugees.

As part of one of its outreach programs, the Border Awareness Experience, the organization takes individuals to visit the southern border, listen to the stories of illegal immigrants, and stay at a shelter. Annunciation House has operated homes in El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, for over four decades, according to its website.

Guests who stay at the organization's homes include "people who have come to the US seeking work, to those who have fled violence and extortion in their home countries, to undocumented families living in El Paso, who have come upon financial hardship," the site reads.

Timeline of events

On February 7, Paxton served Annunciation House with a Request to Examine, demanding a number of the organization's documents, including all services it provides to illegal aliens, all facilities it operates within Texas, all applications for humanitarian relief funding, all documents provided by and to illegal aliens as part of the organization's intake process, and all logs identifying illegal aliens who have received its services.

Annunciation House told Paxton that it would provide a response "within 30 days," to which the AG's office replied that it expected "immediate access." The following day, Annunciation House filed a Temporary Restraining Order against the AG's office.

'Let's have a workshop on asylum.'

"The Attorney General came to Annunciation House on February 7, 2024 stating that the organization had one day to turn over a broad swath of records to the Attorney General without an explanation. Annunciation House asked a Court to decide what documents the law permits the Attorney General to access. There is nothing illegal about asking a Court to decide a person's rights," the organization wrote in a press release.

Annunciation House asserted that Paxton's "real goal is not records but to shut down the organization." It accused the AG of holding an "illegal, immoral and anti-faith position."

In July, 205th District Judge Francisco Dominguez granted Annunciation House's request to block the AG office's request to examine, arguing that it "was a pretext to justify its harassment of Annunciation House employees and the persons seeking refuge."

Dominguez called Paxton's attempt to shut down the organization "outrageous and intolerable." He claimed the request for documents violated the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act by burdening the organization's "free exercise of religion."

In response to the ruling, Paxton immediately announced his intent to appeal.

"For too long, Annunciation House has flouted the law and contributed to the worsening illegal immigration crisis at Texas's border with Mexico," he said. "I am appealing this case and will continue to vigorously enforce the law against any NGO engaging in criminal conduct."

Texas' lawsuit

The AG office's investigation into Annunciation House was prompted by a request from Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) to probe any NGOs "planning and facilitating the illegal transportation of illegal immigrants across our borders." The AG's office has also requested documents from other NGOs operating in Texas that are providing aid to illegal aliens.

As a result of its investigations, Paxton's office found that "Annunciation House is in a category of its own among these NGOs" because it is "openly operating in violation of the law without any pretense of trying to comply with the law."

The lawsuit lodged against Annunciation House claims that the organization is not only facilitating unlawful immigration but also harboring illegal aliens in its shelters and shielding them from law enforcement.

"[B]y its own admissions, Annunciation House is engaged in systematic conduct that constitutes illegal alien harboring and operation of a stash house, as a matter of law — both of which constitute felony offenses under the Texas Penal Code," the suit read.

The complaint claims the organization has repeatedly admitted to doing so, citing several examples, including a 2023 media report from El Paso Matters that quoted Ruben Garcia, the founder and executive director of Annunciation House.

The article stated that the NGO provides shelter accommodations to approximately 300 individuals, noting that "many of whom are stuck in limbo because they were never processed by immigration officials."

Garcia reportedly told the news outlet, "They're saying, 'We want to present ourselves. We want to get processed. We want to proceed with our asylum.' So from that was born the idea, let's have a workshop on asylum."

In other words, Garcia allegedly admitted that Annunciation House is aiding illegal immigrants whom federal immigration officials have not processed. Under the Biden-Harris administration, foreign nationals seeking to enter the U.S. must only present themselves at a port of entry, surrender to a Customs and Border Protection agent, and request to apply for asylum. Those who do so will undergo an abbreviated vetting process and, once completed, be released into the country on their own recognizance with years-out court dates to review the validity of their asylum claim later. Because of this, there is little reason for a foreign national to try to evade border agents, as they will likely be allowed into the country so long as they do not have a criminal record within the databases federal officials can access, which is typically limited to U.S. and Interpol databases.

'To call our houses of hospitality "stash houses." Is there no shame?'

"If the allegations of the attorney general, are true, this is a very serious matter," Jessica Vaughan, the Director of Policy Studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, told Blaze News. "They seem to have this NGO's own words and statements that appear to corroborate what the attorney general is saying about them — that this NGO is more than just an emergency shelter. It's become, in effect, a stash house, and it's not serving the desperate migrants seeking shelter and safety, but deliberately opening its doors to those who have evaded the Border Patrol."

The individuals allegedly mentioned by Garcia in the El Paso Matters article have chosen not to surrender to law enforcement, which could indicate that when they illegally entered the country, they intentionally evaded Border Patrol agents or otherwise snuck in undetected.

The article provides further evidence of this by mentioning a family receiving assistance from Annunciation House after "avoid[ing] Border Patrol when crossing the Rio Grande."

The New Yorker interviewed Garcia just weeks after Paxton filed the lawsuit and told the news outlet that Annunciation House has the "freedom" to help both those with pending asylum cases and those who are "undocumented" because the organization "rarely accepts" federal funding and relies primarily on donations.

According to USA Spending, Annunciation House has directly received over $800,000 from the Department of Homeland Security since 2023 for its "shelter and services program." The grant notes that the funding should be used to provide accommodations to "migrants recently released from DHS custody," meaning those who have been processed by federal immigration officials.

As further evidence that Annunciation House has allegedly admitted to illegal activity, the AG's lawsuit cited a 2018 court filing from its then-legal coordinator, who described assisting a foreign national in Mexico with crossing into the U.S. after previously being turned away by Border Patrol officials.

‘They call themselves advocacy groups… but what they really are is government contractors.’

Additionally, the lawsuit noted that the organization's website states that it operates shelters in Mexico for those looking to migrate to the U.S.

"Annunciation House's website is replete with advocacy broadcasting to the world that it is a welcome site for illegal border crossers," Paxton's complaint read. "For example, Annunciation House's website boasts that its activities have 'enabled Annunciation House to become the primary receiving site for refugees who have fallen from the border wall.'"

Annunciation House denies claims

Annunciation House has repeatedly denied Paxton's claims that it facilitates human smuggling.

According to the group's legal counsel, the organization does not determine who is allowed to enter or remain in the U.S., but "only provides basic services to vulnerable families — food, clothing, a place to lay their heads." The organization has compared itself to schools and hospitals that have provided services to illegal immigrants in the U.S.

"If the work that Annunciation House conducts is illegal – so too is the work of our local hospitals, schools, and food banks," the organization said in a press release responding to Texas' lawsuit. "The Attorney General's illegal, immoral and anti-faith position to shut down Annunciation House is unfounded."

During a February press conference addressing the case, Annunciation House emphasized its Catholic roots and accused Texas of attacking a religious organization. The group was joined by El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser (D), who declared that the city would "not turn its back on anybody," and claimed bipartisan support for the organization.

Garcia stated during the news conference, "I personally am taken aback by the use of words like 'smuggling.' To call our houses of hospitality 'stash houses.' Is there no shame? To refer to houses of God, houses of hospitality as 'stash houses.'"

Garcia repeatedly referred to the organization's shelters as "houses of hospitality."

Nonprofits or government contractors?

Vaughan told Blaze News that there have been concerns for many years that some of the NGOs providing humanitarian services to illegal aliens are crossing the line "into actually sheltering and harboring, and thereby, encouraging illegal immigration."

"They operate funded primarily with taxpayer dollars, and yet they consider themselves to be largely immune from transparency or any examination of their activities," Vaughan said of the NGOs.

She called Paxton's lawsuit against Annunciation House "very important and groundbreaking," noting that other states across the nation are watching to see how this case turns out for Texas. If its lawsuit is successful, it may encourage more states to seek legal action to halt other similar NGOs' operations.

"These organizations, they call themselves advocacy groups or charitable organizations, or even NGOs, but what they really are is government contractors who are being paid by the government seeking work with the federal government to perform these services to illegal migrants. In effect, resettling illegal migration, assisting illegal migrants," Vaughan continued.

'Must be on a PR campaign to try to discredit this investigation.'

In the case of Annunciation House, its legal counsel has claimed that Texas' lawsuit has no validity but to attack a Catholic-based organization. Ever since Paxton initiated the lawsuit, several media outlets have criticized the Attorney General for targeting religious freedoms.

Jerome Wesevich, a lawyer for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, which is representing Annunciation House, called the lawsuit "an attack on religious freedom."

In a June report, the Catholic Review seemed to defend Annunciation House, stating that Paxton's lawsuit "appeared to downplay the 'religious component'" of the organization's mission. National Catholic Reporter featured a guest opinion piece from a writer who previously volunteered at Annunciation House. She called Paxton's claims of human smuggling "beyond outrageous."

A number of Catholic bishops rallied behind Annunciation House, voicing their support for the group and its work. Even Pope Francis addressed the lawsuit during a 60 Minutes interview in May.

"That is madness, sheer madness to close the border and leave them there," Pope Francis stated. "That is madness. The migrant has to be received. Thereafter, you see how you're going to deal with them. Maybe after you send them back, I don't know. But each case ought to be considered humanly."

The wave of lockstep support behind Annunciation House, condemning Texas for going after a religious-affiliated organization, prompted Vaughan to question whether it was all part of a public relations push.

"Catholic charities and other Catholic leadership organizations must be on a PR campaign to try to discredit this investigation and characterize it as anti-humanitarian and anti-Catholic. And I find that very troubling," Vaughan told Blaze News.

Paxton's lawsuit challenged whether Annunciation House "even has any bona fide religious component."

On its website, Annunciation House states that it "accepts volunteers from all faith traditions (and those who do not claim a faith tradition)." It also notes that there is "no proselytizing" in its shelters but adds that "Catholicism is central to the history and life of our organization." According to the organization, volunteers are expected to attend mass.

However, Annunciation House director Mary Bull provided a deposition about the organization's religious practices that contradicted the website's claims. She stated that guests are not required to participate in any religious services and explained that those services are not regularly offered, noting that "it depends on who's available." According to Bull, the longest period of time she recalls that the organization did not offer mass was "maybe nine months, ten months." Bull stated that Annunciation House does not provide confessions, baptisms, or communion.

The legal battle between Texas and Annunciation House continues to unfold, with the organization maintaining its claim that it does not facilitate illegal immigration but provides humanitarian aid to those in need. If Texas proves unlawful activity, the outcome of the case would assuredly catalyze additional similar lawsuits in other states, potentially impacting the operations of Annunciation House and all other NGOs providing services to illegal immigrants.

Arizona residents to vote on whether local police can arrest illegal aliens who cross unlawfully

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On Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that a proposal that would make crossing the Arizona-Mexico border unlawfully a state crime will appear on the upcoming November ballot for residents.

The Arizona Immigration and Border Law Enforcement Measure, Proposition 314, would allow state and local police officers to arrest and detain illegal aliens who have crossed into the United States in between ports of entry. It would also empower judges to order deportations.

'Like the Texas bill, only stronger.'

Additionally, it would make it a Class 2 felony — punishable by up to 10 years behind bars — to sell fentanyl to an individual that results in their death.

If voters pass the proposal on November 5, the E-Verify program would be required to determine an individual's citizenship status before enrolling in financial aid or public welfare programs. Individuals who provide false information or fraudulent documents to an employer or use them to apply for public benefits could be charged with a Class 6 felony.

Opponents attempted to block the proposal from appearing on the ballot, arguing that it is unrelated to immigration enforcement, the fentanyl problem, and public benefit regulations. However, a lower court rejected those claims.

Critics of the measures also contended that the proposal covers more than one subject, but Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ann A. Scott Timmer disagreed, stating that it conforms to the single-subject rule, the Associated Press reported.

Arizona Proposition 314 is similar to Texas' Senate Bill 4, which was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in December but has since been tied up in the courts due to a legal challenge from the federal government. SB4, if allowed to go into effect, would permit state and local law enforcement officers to arrest, detain, prosecute, and deport illegal aliens.

Arizona State Senator Justine Wadsack (R) stated that Proposition 314 “is like the Texas bill, only stronger.”

Since Texas introduced the legislation, and despite the legal challenges from the Biden-Harris administration, several states, including Oklahoma, Iowa, and Louisiana, have attempted to pass similar measures.

The federal government also lodged a lawsuit against Texas for installing concertina wire along the southern border to deter illegal crossings. Abbott stated that Texas has moved forward with installing additional razor wire barriers in Eagle Pass and El Paso.

"Operation Lone Star engineers install more razor wire near Shelby Park," Abbott said. "Texas will continue to hold the line and bolster our border security efforts to protect Texans—and Americans—from the Biden-Harris border crisis."

Meanwhile, Border Patrol agents in the El Paso sector have recently warned about an increase in attacks on agents. From October 2023 through August 9, 2024, the sector reported 66 assaults against Border Patrol officers.

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Illegal alien allegedly attacks Border Patrol agent: 'Visible injuries'

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A Border Patrol agent at an El Paso, Texas, processing center was allegedly attacked by a female Venezuelan national in late June, according to the Border Report.

The woman, Maria Alexandra Louze Flores, was apprehended on June 30 after border officials determined that she was "ineligible" to be in the United States, the news outlet reported. Louze Flores was stopped at an Interstate 10 checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, Texas.

'Texas continues to use all possible strategies to deter & repel illegal entry.'

U.S. Customs and Border Protection's interior checkpoints are placed along major highways near the border. Agents at these stations look for illegal narcotics and individuals who are attempting to travel farther into the interior of the country after evading border agents.

The El Paso checkpoint's law enforcement agents detained Louze Flores and placed her in a Border Patrol van. She was then transported to a nearby processing center.

According to court records, Louze Flores was moved to the center's intake area, where a Border Patrol agent questioned her, Border Report stated. Her belongings were placed aside for storage.

A criminal complaint reviewed by the news outlet stated that Louze Flores attempted to walk away from the interview and retrieve her items but was stopped by the Border Patrol agent. When the law enforcement officer grabbed Louze Flores' arm, she responded by trying to pull away, swinging at an agent's face, the complaint stated.

A struggle ensued that reportedly resulted in Louze Flores striking an officer's face several times, according to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas and reviewed by Border Report.

Louze Flores was eventually restrained after two additional officers came to break up the scuffle, the complaint read.

The suspect was ultimately charged with assault on a federal officer. She is scheduled to appear in court on July 8.

One of the Border Patrol agents reportedly sustained "visible injuries" on his face, neck, ear, and hands, according to the complaint.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) recently provided an update on his effort to fill gaps left in the border wall after the Biden administration ordered a stop to its construction.

"Texas National Guard soldiers construct barriers that will be placed along the border in El Paso," Abbott wrote on X this week. "Texas continues to use all possible strategies to deter & repel illegal entry into our state."

Border Patrol officials in the El Paso Sector have reported more than 200,000 encounters in the first eight months of fiscal year 2024. Approximately 133,000 of those encounters were single adults, nearly 60,000 were individuals in a family unit, and more than 11,000 were unaccompanied children.

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ICE released 43 illegal aliens accused of rioting at the border

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently told the New York Post that it released 43 of the more than 200 illegal aliens who were accused of storming the southern border earlier this year.

A large mob of illegal immigrants rushed law enforcement in El Paso, Texas, on March 21. Footage of the incident captured by the Post showed the rowdy group of primarily adult males ripping down the concertina wire near Gate 36, a closed area of the border that is not a designated port of entry. The illegal aliens shoved past five guardsmen to run up to the gate, according to the video.

'Sometimes we arrest a child molester and he gets released because of housing space.'

The 211 individuals received riot participation charges and were taken into state custody. El Paso County Judge Ruben Morales dismissed the charges in May, claiming that the state failed to provide a transfer order to move the cases from district to county court.

The illegal aliens were subsequently transferred to ICE custody to face federal unlawful entry charges.

An ICE spokesperson told the Post that 43 of the individuals were released into the U.S. and another 43 were deported. Thirty-two others remain in custody while they await hearings, and 105 individuals are in custody pending removal from the country, the spokesperson stated.

The spokesperson told the news outlet that ICE releases individuals on a “case-by-case basis.”

“ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations] officers make decisions on associated enforcement actions and apply prosecutorial discretion, where applicable, in a responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement professionals and in a way that best protects the communities we serve,” the spokesperson said.

A Department of Homeland Security source told the Post that some illegal immigrants are released from ICE custody because the agency needs to prioritize its limited detention space for those accused of the most severe crimes.

“Sometimes we arrest a child molester and he gets released because of housing space. Or the charge is not egregious enough to keep him or her in custody,” the source claimed.

ICE recently announced that it plans to close down the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, the agency’s largest detention center with the capacity to hold 2,400 inmates, Blaze News previously reported.

In a June press release, ICE stated that the facility is its “most expensive.” By closing down the detention center, it aims to “increase the overall detention bed capacity across the system by an estimated 1,600 beds to better support operational needs.”

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El Paso judge again drops riot participation charges against illegal aliens who stormed the border

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El Paso County Court of Law Judge Ruben Morales again dismissed riot participation charges filed against a group of illegal aliens who stormed the southern border earlier this year, the El Paso Times recently reported.

On June 6, Morales dropped 59 cases against the illegal immigrants, claiming that his court lacked jurisdiction, officials stated.

'They seem to be doing everything they can to keep from going to trial.'

El Paso Public Defender Kelli Childress, who represented the group, said, "The judge ruled that it [filing of the charges] was done in a way that was improper with respect to constitutional and statutory procedure."

"None of these problems have been at the fault of the judge or my clients," Childress continued. "It's been very frustrating to watch this happen over and over again. This is the third dismissal of these charges while these people have had to sit in jail for."

The illegal aliens were accused of participating in a riot after they breached the concertina-wire barriers and stormed law enforcement officials along the border in an effort to unlawfully enter the United States on April 12. The incident, involving approximately 300 individuals, took place in front of Gate 36, which is not a designated port of entry.

Morales previously dropped the charges against the individuals, claiming that there was no evidence of "probable cause." In response to the judge's decision, District Attorney Bill Hicks called for a grand jury to decide on the case. A panel of 12 El Paso citizens indicted more than 140 illegal immigrants on misdemeanor rioting charges, effectively overruling Morales' decision.

The illegal aliens were slated to go to trial on Monday before Morales dismissed the charges again. The judge blamed the DA's office for allegedly improperly filing the cases, but Hicks denied the claims.

Childress accused the DA's office of withholding evidence from her. Hicks rejected the accusation and claimed Childress was only required to submit to a confidential agreement to access the evidence but refused.

Childress argued that the DA has no right to require her to sign an agreement to access evidence stored in the county's digital filing system.

The El Paso Times reported that the DA's office can elect to indict the individuals for a third time.

The illegal aliens are being held in county jail. They are also facing federal unlawful entry charges, but it is unclear when they will be transferred to federal custody.

"They seem to be doing everything they can to keep from going to trial," Hicks told reporters, referring to the public defender's office. "We would like to go to trial. Let a jury decide what happens to these cases."

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Illegal aliens attempting to scale border wall throw rocks, sand, and water bottles at Border Patrol agents: Video

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A group of illegal aliens who were recently attempting to scale the border wall dividing Texas from Mexico entered into a tense confrontation with Border Patrol agents, according to an aerial video taken by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The video, taken this week, captured the illegal immigrants while they were attempting to descend a rope ladder draped over the border wall. As law enforcement officials on the ground approached the scene, several individuals on the other side of the wall began throwing rocks and sand at the responding officers, according to Texas DPS. One individual appeared to chuck water bottles at authorities while they were attempting to make arrests, the video showed.

'The video illustrates recent behavior by these groups.'

Two illegal immigrants perched at the top of the wall entered into a back-and-forth tug of war with a Border Patrol agent over the rope ladder, the footage captured. Eventually, the two individuals gave up and retreated back into Mexico.

The Santa Teresa Station is located in the El Paso Sector. In the first seven months of fiscal year 2024, the sector has experienced more than 180,000 encounters, according to Customs and Border Protection data.

"This week, DPS provided air support to Border Patrol Agents responding to a group of illegal immigrants attempting to climb the border wall near the Santa Teresa [Port of Entry] & illegally enter the U.S. The video illustrates recent behavior by these groups in the El Paso Sector—throwing rocks, sand & water bottles at responding agents," Texas DPS wrote in a Thursday post on X.

— (@)

In March, a massive group of more than 200 illegal aliens tore down the concertina wire at the border and shoved past Texas National Guardsmen, Blaze News previously reported. The caught-on-video altercation occurred at Gate 36, a closed area of the border that is not a designated port of entry. The illegal immigrants, mostly adult males, were accused of participating in a riot.

El Paso County Judge Ruben Morales dismissed the charges, claiming he was forced to do so because the state failed to provide a transfer order to move the cases from district to county court.

A similar incident on April 22 also occurred at Gate 36. Morales dropped the charges against the illegal immigrants in that case as well, claiming that there was no evidence of "probable cause" to indicate that the individuals participated in a riot.

District Attorney Bill Hicks called for a grand jury to decide on the case after he claimed Morales refused to review additional evidence. The group of 12 El Paso citizens effectively overruled Morales' judgment, deciding to indict more than 140 illegal aliens on misdemeanor riot participation charges.

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Viral video: Middle-schooler grabs teacher, throws her sideways against classroom wall amid fight with another student

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Cellphone video shows the moment a Texas middle-schooler grabbed a teacher and threw her sideways against a classroom wall amid a fight with another student Monday,

The fight took place Monday at Hurshel Antwine Middle School in El Paso, which is part of the Socorro Independent School District, KTSM-TV reported in reference to the video, which the station said has gone viral.

Separate thuds are audible when she hits the wall and then lands on the classroom floor.

KTSM's video report said the social studies teacher was trying to break up a fight between two of her students. The teacher is seen in the clip getting between the students in a classroom before one of the students appears to throw a punch past her, grabs her shoulders, and throws her sideways against a wall.

At least one of her legs is seen leaving the ground during the throw. Separate thuds are audible when she hits the wall and then lands on the classroom floor.

An unredacted video shows that the student who threw the teacher against the wall appears to be the aggressor in the fight with the other student, throwing repeated punches while the other student doesn't fight back. The one-sided dust-up continued for nearly 20 more seconds after the teacher was thrown.

The teacher soon rises to her feet after several seconds, and two individuals — presumably other teachers — enter the classroom, with one of them yelling, "What are you doing?" according to the unredacted video, as the students are separated.

The teacher who was thrown into the wall appears to collapse into a seated position on the floor.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

KTSM said the following message was sent to parents: “Hello, this is Patricia Fernandez, principal of Hurshel Antwine Middle School. I am calling to inform you that an altercation occurred among students in a classroom on our campus today. This was an isolated incident between individual students. The students involved are being addressed by administration and law enforcement, as appropriate. There was no threat to other students or the campus. Thank you for your continued trust and support of Hurshel Antwine Middle School and Team SISD.”

The station said it reached out to the school district for comment.

Lone Star Live said district officials didn't answer when asked if the woman in the video is a teacher or if she she was injured. The outlet added that officials didn't answer when asked what kind of punishment the students involved might face, if they would be expelled, or if they would be sent to an alternative education program.

Officials also didn't answer when asked if teachers have panic buttons in their classrooms or if police are assigned to each school, Lone Star Live reported, adding that officials also didn't respond when asked who will decide whether or not to pursue charges in the case.

Blaze News recently looked into a dozen disturbing instances when students got brutally violent with teachers.

Fight at Socorro ISD school goes viral on social media youtu.be

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