A sudden influx of illegal immigrants from Mexico requesting asylum is overwhelming immigration agents in San Diego, forcing agencies to rent hotel rooms for some undocumented families and release others to cities around the U.S.<\/p>\n
Documents obtained exclusively by Fox News show Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been paying for hotel rooms for dozens of recently arrived families to relieve overcrowding inside the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa, Calif., processing centers. Some ICE employees are working overtime and others have been asked to volunteer to work weekend shifts. \u201cDuties include intake, placements, transports and release of family groups and unaccompanied minors,\u201d according to a memo obtained by Fox News.<\/p>\n
The surge has raised suspicions about what is driving the influx, amid claims that illegal immigrants have learned they can attempt to get asylum by using a few key words \u2014 namely, by claiming they have a \u201ccredible fear\u201d of drug cartels.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis clearly has to have been orchestrated by somebody,\u201d said former U.S. Attorney for Southern California Peter Nunez. \u201cIt\u2019s beyond belief that dozens or hundreds or thousands of people would simultaneously decide that they should go to the U.S. and make this claim.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sources say one day last week, 200 border-crossers came through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry claiming asylum while and as many as 550 overflowed inside the processing center there and in nearby San Ysidro.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople were sleeping on floors \u2013 they had nowhere to put them,\u201d said one source, a long-time border agent and supervisor. \u201cThis shouldn\u2019t be happening. Unless there is an immediate and well-publicized policy change, this situation will become another debacle.\u201d<\/p>\n
At a hotel near San Diego \u2014 which Fox News agreed not to identify for security reasons \u2014 ICE vans arrived several times over the weekend with immigrant families. They were escorted to the second floor by two armed, uniformed agents. Two border agents secured the entrance and side door.<\/p>\n
Documents obtained by Fox News show that recently on a single day, dozens of illegal immigrants were being transferred to an area hotel where rooms cost $99 a night. Others were released to addresses in Texas, Florida and even Brooklyn, N.Y.<\/p>\n