A judge in El Paso, Texas, ordered the release of immigrants accused of carrying out a "border riot" by forming a stampede to overwhelm National Guard agents at the Rio Grande, according to The El Paso Times.
The event occurred on March 21, when a group of immigrants broke the border fence and rushed over the border. The episode was captured in images published by The New York Post and later spread on social media:
NEW: Riot breaks out at the Southern Border as 100 migrants rush the border, knock down guards and rip through the razor wire.
The incident happened in El Paso, Texas.
According to the New York Post, a total of 600 migrants gathered at the international border where the Texas… pic.twitter.com/ooMf5uRgh8
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 21, 2024
Judge Humberto Acosta decided on the release after a teleconference on Sunday in which he criticized the state attorney general for not being prepared to pursue individual cases for each of the defendants, according to the report. Court officials have indicated that the defendants would remain incarcerated if there were a federal rule preventing their release.
Some immigrants were facing charges of assault against a public official for knocking down Texas National Guard troops, according to the local newspaper. The report indicated, however, that at the moment it is not clear if the decision applies to all charges.
It is also not known, as detailed, how many immigrants have been accused of the lesser crime of "riot participation," but the judge said there were "hundreds of arrestees."
Later on Sunday, two other immigrants facing charges for cutting the border fence were taken to prison, with bail set at $2,000 each.
Another hearing is set to be held Monday.
