Neighbors in Far East El Paso say a quiet New Year’s Eve turned tense on Wednesday evening when what appeared to be an immigration enforcement operation unfolded near Bob Hope Drive. Residents described plain-looking cars pulling up to a construction site, officers in tactical vests detaining several men, and a helicopter circling overhead as others ran from the area.
Witness Accounts And Footage
Christian Garcia told neighbors he “saw an unmarked vehicle parked, like, two houses down” and shared photos and video that residents say show officers detaining men while others fled on foot. Neighbors said the people taken into custody were construction workers building homes at the site, and that agents arrived in unmarked vehicles rather than marked federal cars. As reported by KFOX14, witnesses said a helicopter hovered over the neighborhood, and some men ran during the operation.
Where This Fits Locally
Local reporting and advocates say interior immigration enforcement around El Paso has become more visible this year, with federal operations sometimes moving quickly and without public notice. El Paso Matters previously detailed the use of a large soft-sided processing site in northeast El Paso and reported a sharp surge in detainees as interior arrests increased.
Enforcement Numbers Are Rising…