Border Patrol sector told to release illegal aliens from most Eastern Hemisphere countries into US

Border Patrol agents in the San Diego sector were recently instructed to release illegal aliens from most Eastern Hemisphere countries into the interior of the United States, according to a memo first obtained by the Washington Examiner.

The internal communication stated that single adults from more than 100 countries in the Eastern Hemisphere who cross into the U.S. illegally through the San Diego sector are to be processed as "NTA/OR," or Notice to Appear/released on Own Recognizance. According to the memo, the individuals are from "hard or very hard to remove countries" that do not cooperate with the U.S.'s deportation efforts.

Illegal aliens from "mandatory referral countries," including Russia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Moldova, and Kyrgyzstan, are not eligible to be released into the U.S. and request asylum, the memo read.

'This is gaslighting our fellow Americans.'

A senior Border Patrol official told Fox News' Bill Melugin that instruction to allow illegal immigrants from most Eastern Hemisphere countries into the interior of the U.S. was provided only to the San Diego Sector rather than the entire border. According to the official, the illegal aliens will still not be eligible to request asylum.

Department of Homeland Security officials told reporters on Friday that many Eastern Hemisphere countries will not cooperate with the U.S. to take back their citizens, making it difficult to deport the individuals, Fox News Digital reported. Officials stated that they are working with those countries to gain cooperation.

According to the memo, illegal aliens from the Western Hemisphere countries, including Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Venezuela, are classified as "easy to remove."

San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents received the memo shortly after President Joe Biden announced a new executive order that the administration claims would crack down on illegal entries amid the ongoing immigration crisis at the southern border. Biden's order would temporarily suspend unlawful border crossings after entries reach an average of over 2,500 per day over seven days. The order carves out numerous exceptions, including for unaccompanied minors, individuals judged to be "victims of severe forms of trafficking," people with medical emergencies, and those who schedule an appointment through the Customs and Border Protection's CBP One app.

On Sunday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) told Fox News Digital that the administration's order will "actually attract and invite even more people to cross the border illegally."

"There's no slowing down of people crossing the border. In fact, it's just accelerating. This is gaslighting our fellow Americans. When Biden gets up and says, 'This is going to stop people from coming across the border,' when he says, 'It's going to secure the border,' in fact, it is making illegal border crossings worse," Abbott stated.

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