A little girl holds her stuffed animal high above the water as migrants, many from Haiti, wade across the Rio Grande river from Del Rio, Texas, to return to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, to avoid deportation. The U.S. is flying Haitians camped in a Texas border town back to their homeland and blocking others from crossing the border from Mexico. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
The Associated Press
DEL RIO, Texas (AP) - More than 6,000 Haitians and other migrants have been removed from an encampment at a Texas border town, U.S. officials said Monday as they defended a strong response that included immediately expelling migrants to their impoverished Caribbean country and faced criticism for using horse patrols to stop them from entering the town.
Calling it a 'œchallenging and heartbreaking situation," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas issued a stark warning: 'œIf you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your family's life.'ť
Isaac Isner, 30, and his wife Mirdege, took wet clothing off their 3-year-old daughter Isadora after crossing the Rio Grande to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Monday afternoon. They had been in Del Rio, Texas, for seven days but decided to return to Mexico after a friend showed cellphone video of the U.S. expelling migrants.
"They were putting people on a bus and sent them to Haiti just like that without signing anything,'ť Isner said.
His family has an appointment this month with Mexico's asylum agency in the southern city of Tapachula, and they think they could be safe in Mexico.
Most migrants, however, still haven't made up their minds.
'œWe don't know what we're going to do,'ť said a second Haitian man, who declined to give his name but said he crossed into Mexico Monday for food, leaving his wife and child in Del Rio. 'œThe U.S. is deporting and now Mexico won't just sit back and do nothing. We don't know where to go.'ť
Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico's foreign minister, said about 15% of the Haitian migrants in Mexico have accepted refuge there. So far this year, about 19,000 Haitian migrants have requested asylum in Mexico.
'œMexico does not have any problem with them being in our country as long as they respect Mexico's laws,'ť he said.
Mexico was busing Haitian migrants from Ciudad Acuña Sunday evening, according to Luis Angel Urraza, president of the local chamber of commerce. Mexico's immigration agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But a federal official told The Associated Press on Sunday that the plan was to take the migrants to Monterrey, in northern Mexico, and Tapachula, in the south, with flights to Haiti from those cities to begin in coming days.
Mayorkas and U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said they would look into agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips and their horses to push back migrants at the river between Ciudad Acuña and Del Rio, a city of about 35,000 people roughly 145 miles (230 kilometers) west of San Antonio where thousands of migrants remain camped around a bridge.
Both officials said during an afternoon news conference they saw nothing apparently wrong based on the widely seen photos and video. Mayorkas said agents use long reins, not whips, to control their horses. Ortiz, the former chief of the Del Rio sector, said it can be confusing to distinguish between migrants and smugglers as people move back and forth near the river. The chief said he would investigate to make sure there was no 'œunacceptable'ť actions by the agents.
'œI don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it acceptable or appropriate," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said when asked about the images at a nearly simultaneous briefing. She deemed the footage 'œhorrific'ť and said the matter would be investigated.
Later Monday, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement calling the footage 'œextremely troubling'ť and promising a full investigation that would 'œdefine the appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken.'ť
Mayorkas said 600 Homeland Security employees, including from the Coast Guard, have been brought to Del Rio. He said he has asked the Defense Department for help in what may be one of the swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants and refugees from the United States in decades.
He also said the U.S. would increase the pace and capacity of flights to Haiti and other countries in the hemisphere. The number of migrants at the bridge peaked at 14,872 on Saturday, said Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a labor union that represents agents.
'œWhen it was reported that were flights going back to Haiti, it got around almost immediately,'ť he said. 'œThere has been talk that some of them are going to go back (to Mexico) but we have not seen very much movement.'ť
The rapid expulsions were made possible by a pandemic-related authority adopted by former President Donald Trump in March 2020 that allows for migrants to be immediately removed from the country without an opportunity to seek asylum. President Joe Biden exempted unaccompanied children from the order but let the rest stand.
Any Haitians not expelled are subject to immigration laws, which include rights to seek asylum and other forms of humanitarian protection. Families are quickly released in the U.S. because the government cannot generally hold children.
More than 320 migrants arrived in Port-au-Prince on three flights Sunday, and Haiti said six flights were expected Tuesday. The U.S. plans to begin seven expulsion flights daily on Wednesday, four to Port-au-Prince and three to Cap-Haitien, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Flights will continue to depart from San Antonio but authorities may add El Paso, the official said.
The only obvious parallel for such an expulsion without an opportunity to seek asylum was in 1992 when the Coast Guard intercepted Haitian refugees at sea, said Yael Schacher, senior U.S. advocate at Refugees International whose doctoral studies focused on the history of U.S. asylum law.
Similarly large numbers of Mexicans have been sent home during peak years of immigration but over land and not so suddenly.
Central Americans have also crossed the border in comparable numbers without being subject to mass expulsion, although Mexico has agreed to accept them from the U.S. under pandemic-related authority in effect since March 2020. Mexico does not accept expelled Haitians or people of other nationalities outside of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
In Mexico, local authorities of border municipalities have asked for help from state and federal authorities. Claudio Bres, the mayor in Piedras Negras, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Ciudad Acuña, told local media that the official agreement is to turn back all the buses with migrants to prevent them from reaching the border. He said that last weekend around 70 buses passed through his town.
Haitians have been migrating to the U.S. in large numbers from South America for several years, many having left their Caribbean nation after a devastating 2010 earthquake. After jobs dried up from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, many made the dangerous trek by foot, bus and car to the U.S. border, including through the infamous Darien Gap, a Panamanian jungle.
Some of the migrants at the Del Rio camp said the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti and the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse make them afraid to return to a country that seems more unstable than when they left.
'œIn Haiti, there is no security,'ť said Fabricio Jean, a 38-year-old Haitian who arrived in Texas with his wife and two daughters. 'œThe country is in a political crisis.'ť
But Mayorkas defended his recent decision to grant Haitians temporary legal status due to political and civil strife in their homeland if they were in the United States on July 29, but not to those being sent back now.
'œWe made an assessment based on the country conditions ... that Haiti could in fact receive individuals safely,'ť he said.
Six flights were scheduled to Haiti on Tuesday - three to Port-au-Prince and three to the northern city of Cap-Haitien, said Jean Négot Bonheur Delva, Haiti's migration director.
Some migrants said they were planning to leave Haiti again as soon as possible. Valeria Ternission, 29, said she and her husband want to travel with their 4-year-old son back to Chile, where she worked as a bakery's cashier.
'œI am truly worried, especially for the child,'ť she said. 'œI can't do anything here.'ť
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Lozano and Verza reported from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, and Spagat from San Diego. Associated Press writers Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Evens Sanon from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, also contributed to this report.
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Follow AP's coverage of migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
Migrants, many from Haiti, wade across the Rio Grande river from Del Rio, Texas, to return to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, to avoid deportation from the U.S. The U.S. is flying Haitians camped in a Texas border town back to their homeland and blocking others from crossing the border from Mexico. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
The Associated Press
Migrants, many from Haiti, wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to return to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, late Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, to avoid deportation to Haiti from the U.S. The U.S. is flying Haitians camped in a Texas border town back to their homeland and blocking others from crossing the border from Mexico in a massive show of force that signals the beginning of what could be one of America's swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants or refugees in decades. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
The Associated Press
Haitian migrants wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to return to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, to avoid deportation to Haiti from the U.S. The U.S. is flying Haitians camped in a Texas border town back to their homeland and blocking others from crossing the border from Mexico in a massive show of force that signals the beginning of what could be one of America's swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants or refugees in decades. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
The Associated Press
Migrants, many from Haiti, wade across the Rio Grande river from Del Rio, Texas, to return to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, to avoid deportation from the U.S. The U.S. is flying Haitians camped in a Texas border town back to their homeland and blocking others from crossing the border from Mexico. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
The Associated Press
Migrants, many from Haiti, wade across the Rio Grande river from Del Rio, Texas, to return to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, to avoid deportation from the U.S. The U.S. is flying Haitians camped in a Texas border town back to their homeland and blocking others from crossing the border from Mexico. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
The Associated Press
Haitian migrants wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to return to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, to avoid deportation to Haiti from the U.S. The U.S. is flying Haitians camped in a Texas border town back to their homeland and blocking others from crossing the border from Mexico in a massive show of force that signals the beginning of what could be one of America's swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants or refugees in decades. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
The Associated Press
Migrants find an alternate place to cross between Mexico and the United States after access to a dam was closed, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico. U.S. officials said that within the next few days, they plan to ramp up expulsion flights for some of the thousands of Haitian migrants who have gathered in the Texas city from across the border in Mexico. (AP Photo/Sarah Blake Morgan)
The Associated Press
U.S. Customs and Border Protection mounted officers attempt to contain migrants as they cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, as authorities attempt to close the border to stop the flow of migrants. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
The Associated Press
U.S. Customs and Border Protection mounted officers attempt to contain migrants as they cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, as authorities attempt to close the border to stop the flow of migrants. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
The Associated Press
Access to a dam to cross into the United States from Mexico is shown closed, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico. U.S. officials said that within the next few days, they plan to ramp up expulsion flights for some of the thousands of Haitian migrants who have gathered in the Texas city from across the border in Mexico. (AP Photo/Sarah Blake Morgan)
The Associated Press
Migrants wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, to shop for food and supplies before returning back to the US side of the border, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, as authorities attempt to close the border to stop the flow of migrants. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
The Associated Press
Migrants wade back and forth across the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, as authorities attempt to close the border to stop the flow of migrants. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
The Associated Press
Migrants find an alternate place to cross from Mexico to the United States after access to a dam was closed, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico. U.S. officials said that within the next few days, they plan to ramp up expulsion flights for some of the thousands of Haitian migrants who have gathered in the Texas city from across the border in Mexico. (AP Photo/Sarah Blake Morgan)
The Associated Press
Migrants find an alternate place to cross between Mexico and the United States after access to a dam was closed, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico. U.S. officials said that within the next few days, they plan to ramp up expulsion flights for some of the thousands of Haitian migrants who have gathered in the Texas city from across the border in Mexico. (AP Photo/Sarah Blake Morgan)
The Associated Press
A National Guardsman watches as a bus moves migrants, mostly from Haiti, away from the International Bridge where thousand have formed a makeshift camp, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. The U.S. flew Haitians camped in the Texas border town back to their homeland Sunday and tried blocking others from crossing the border from Mexico in a massive show of force that signaled the beginning of what could be one of America's swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants or refugees in decades. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
The Associated Press
Men lift a baby over the waters of the Rio Grande river as migrants, many from Haiti, wade across the from Del Rio, Texas, to return to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, to avoid deportation from the U.S. The U.S. is flying Haitians camped in a Texas border town back to their homeland and blocking others from crossing the border from Mexico in a massive show of force. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
The Associated Press
Haitians who were deported from the United States deplane at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, in Port au Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Sep. 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, to ask for asylum in the U.S., as authorities begin to deported them to back to Haiti which is in a worse shape than when they left. (AP Photo/Joseph Odelyn)
The Associated Press
Haitians who were deported from the United States arrive at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, in Port au Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Sep. 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, to ask for asylum in the U.S., as authorities begin to deported them to back to Haiti. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
The Associated Press
Haitians who were deported from the United States deplane at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, in Port au Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Sep. 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, to ask for asylum in the U.S., as authorities begin to deported them to back to Haiti. (AP Photo/Joseph Odelyn)
The Associated Press
Haitian migrants deported from the US gather after landing at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, to ask for asylum in the U.S., as authorities begin to deported them to back to Haiti which is in a worse shape than when they left. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
The Associated Press
Haitian migrants deported from the US pick up their luggage at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, to ask for asylum in the U.S., as authorities begin to deported them to back to Haiti which is in a worse shape than when they left. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
The Associated Press
A Haitian policeman waits for the arrival of migrants deported from the US to the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, to ask for asylum in the U.S., as authorities begin to deported them to back to Haiti which is in a worse shape than when they left. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
The Associated Press
Haitian migrants deported from the US gather after their arrival to the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, to ask for asylum in the U.S., as authorities begin to deported them to back to Haiti. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
The Associated Press
Haitian migrants deported from the US, gather after arriving at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, to ask for asylum in the U.S., as authorities begin to deported them to back to Haiti. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
The Associated Press
Migrants, mostly from Haiti, wait for a bus after they were processed and released after spending time at a makeshift camp near the International Bridge, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. The U.S. flew Haitians camped in the Texas border town back to their homeland Sunday and tried blocking others from crossing the border from Mexico in a massive show of force that signaled the beginning of what could be one of America's swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants or refugees in decades. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
The Associated Press
Haitians deported from the United States leave Toussaint Louverture International Airport under a rain shower in Port au Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Sep. 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, to ask for asylum in the U.S., as authorities begin to deported them to back to Haiti. (AP Photo/Joseph Odelyn)
The Associated Press
Migrants, mostly from Haiti, wait for a bus after they were processed and released after spending time at a makeshift camp near the International Bridge, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. President Joe Biden's administration is nearing a final plan to expel many of the thousands of Haitian migrants who have suddenly crossed into a Texas border city from Mexico and to fly them back to their Caribbean homeland. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
The Associated Press