This Shouldn't Be Happening': Federal Officials Reportedly Purchasing Hotel Rooms for Illegal Immigrants

Federal officials are purchasing hotel rooms for illegal immigrants and even releasing some to cities around the country due to an unexpected surge of individuals from Mexico seeking asylum in the U.S., documents obtained by Fox News reveal.

The documents reportedly show that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has been buying hotel rooms costing up to $99 for dozens of undocumented families to relieve overcrowding inside processing centers near the Mexico border.

ICE officials reportedly transported the individuals to an unidentified hotel using vans. Once they arrived, armed agents escorted them to their rooms.

A fence along the Otay Mesa border near San Diego, California. (AFP/Getty Images)

An anonymous source, reportedly a long-time border agent and supervisor, told Fox News that the measures were necessary.

"People were sleeping on floors – they had nowhere to put them," said the source. "This shouldn't be happening."

"Unless there is an immediate and well-pubicized policy change, this situation will become another debacle," the source added.

Others are reportedely released to "bogus" addresses in Texas, Florida, and New York.

"When they don't show up for court, they are removed by an immigration judge in absentia," reports Fox News.

The sudden influx of illegal immigrants appears to be due to a recently discovered border "loophole" that individuals from Mexico are exploiting to cross the border. Those seeking to cross over to the U.S. are being instructed to recite "key words" to U.S. border officials, resulting in unexpected overflow at processing stations.

Last week the sudden influx forced one processing station to shut down and nearly 200 people went through the Otay Mesa crossing in San Diego telling U.S. immigration officials they had a "credible fear" of the drug cartels.

Former U.S. Attorney for Southern California Peter Nunez said the unexpected surge of individual seeking asylum has been organized by someone.

"This clearly has to have been orchestrated by somebody," he told Fox News. "It's beyond belief that dozens of thousands of people would simultaneously decide that they should go to the U.S. and make this claim."

Follow Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) on Twitter

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