Operation Hold the Line 1993

Operation Hold the Line 1993

The image shows the U.S. Border Patrol and protesters during Operation Hold the Line in 1993 on the Paso del Norte International Bridge. Operation Hold the Line was a preventative measure taken by the United States Border Patrol, initiated on September 19, 1993, on the United States-Mexico border in El Paso. Silvestre Reyes, who was the head of the El Paso Border Control at the time, ordered his officers to form a human and vehicle blockade along the border. There were four hundred agents and vehicles every 100 yards from one side of El Paso to the other, creating a virtual and visible human wall of enforcement, in order to prevent illegal immigration. Unlike the previous attempts, Reyes’ blockade stayed in place until the Immigration and Naturalization Service saw the success it was having and permanently funded it. It is still in effect today. The rise of illegal immigration from Mexico to the U.S. during the 1980s and 1990s was caused by the collapse of the Mexican economy due to inflation. El Paso's Border Patrol agents, which numbered 600 then, were overwhelmed by the number of migrants rushing across the border daily. The Operation was the first of its kind and represented a shift in ideology in policing illegal immigration. Previous policies focused on finding and deporting illegal immigrants who had already crossed the border. Instead, Operation Hold the Line focused on intercepting and preventing illegal entries at the border. The Operation affected El Paso and the surrounding areas instantly and in different ways: On one hand, the apprehensions in the El Paso sector dropped significantly (from about 1,500 people a day to less than 100 a day). The success of the Operation led to the introduction of legislation that focused on border security. On the other hand, the number of immigrants who die trying to cross the border has risen significantly, because they attempt to cross the border in remote desert areas, which have less security. Also, illegal immigrants, who successfully cross the border, stay in the United States longer than before, rather than risking arrest traveling back and forth from Mexico. During the first weeks of the Operation, there were protests on both sides of the border, and the Catholic bishops of Southern New Mexico, El Paso and Juárez came out against it. Hundreds of Juárez residents took part in demonstrations because they could no longer get to their jobs in El Paso. Consequently, one of the immediate effects was also that it left thousands of people from Juarez unemployed, who had been crossing the border daily for their jobs in El Paso. About a week into the operation, there was a standoff between protesters and U.S. officials at the Paso del Norte International Bridge. They threatened to pour into the north, and the Border Patrol had to shut down one side of the bridge.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections, University of Texas at El Paso Library. Collection Name: El Paso Times 1994 Operation Hold the Line. Photo ID: PH032-9-21B-020.

Uploaded by: UTEP Library Special Collections

Comments

Add a comment
Thank you for your comment

Report this entry

Choose the most important reason for this report

Your name

Your email address

Optional detail

Thank you for your report

More from the same community-collection

Little Caples Building

Little Caples Building in downtown El Paso, Texas. Located at ...

City Hall circa 1915, El Paso, Texas

Intersection of Myrtle & San Antonio Streets between 1910-1920. ...

Street Scene-Automobile Row

This section of North Kansas Street was known as "Automobile ...

Abdou Building

Henry Trost designed this seven-story reinforced concrete ...

Church and County Courthouse in 1890s

This picture, dating back to the 1890s, shows the County ...

Bird's Eye View of El Paso from Mesa Garden

The picture captures El Paso between 1890 and 1900. It was taken ...

The Popular Dry Good Company

The Popular department store chain, founded by Adolph Schwartz, ...

Lawmen On Horseback

Lawmen on horseback in downtown El Paso, Texas.

Street Car Downtown

A street car travels between the Grand Hotel and the El Paso ...

Local Bar In El Paso, Texas

A local bar in El Paso, Texas between 1910 - 1920.

Otis A. Aultman

Otis A. Aultman playing cards with friends, he is to the far ...

Downtown El Paso

Image of downtown El Paso between 1910-1920. City Hall to the ...

El Paso Preachers

This group of Protestant ministers includes Dr. Poe of the ...

Chamber of Commerce Anniversary Luncheon

These are the past and present directors of the El Paso Chamber ...

Southwest University Park

Southwest University Park is a stadium in El Paso, Texas. It is ...

White House Department Store

The popularity of the White House exceeded the size of its ...

Southwest University Park

Southwest University Park is a stadium in El Paso, Texas. It is ...

East San Antonio Avenue

This sign marks the corner of East San Antonio Avenue and South ...

Architecture

A once beautiful building in downtown El Paso, TX.

Lamppost

Downtown El Paso is dotted with revival styles from the turn of ...

N. Mesa Street Downtown El Paso, Texas

Image of N. Mesa Street with sign and lamp post in downtown El ...

Kress Sign

This sign marks the location of Kress & Co. Department store at ...

Betty Moor MacGuire Hall - El Paso Texas

Photograph of the Betty Moor MacGuire Hall. The picture features ...

home.search_collection