AP PHOTOS: Haitian migrants flock to small Texas border city
Migrants wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Haitian migrants use a dam to cross to and from the United States from Mexico, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Haitian migrants set up make-shift camp along the Rio Grande after crossing into the United States from Mexico, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Haitian migrants bathe and do laundry along the banks of the Rio Grand after they crossed into the United States from Mexico, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection mounted officers attempt to contain migrants as they cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Migrants wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Migrants wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Migrants wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Migrants pass a fence near the International bridge where thousands of Haitian migrants have created a makeshift camp, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Haitians who were deported from the United States arrive at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, in Port au Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Sep. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A migrant family stands on the shore of the Rio Grande before crossing from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, at sunrise Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Migrants cross the Acandi River on their journey north, near Acandi, Colombia, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. The migrants, mostly Haitians, are on their way to crossing the Darien Gap from Colombia into Panama dreaming of reaching the U.S. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Migrants arrive on a boat to Acandi, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
A migrant eats breakfast inside her tent at a camp in Acandi, Colombia, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Migrants continue on their trek north, near Acandi, Colombia, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. The migrants, mostly Haitians, are on their way to crossing the Darien Gap from Colombia into Panama dreaming of reaching the U.S. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Migrants cross the Acandi River on a horse cart in Acandi, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Migrants continue on their trek north, near Acandi, Colombia, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
A family snapshot lies on the ground near a trail used by migrants, near Acandi, Colombia, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Haitian migrants use a dam to cross to and from the United States from Mexico, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
A migrant woman holds her child as she waits in a makeshift camp with others after crossing the Rio Grande to the United States from Mexico, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Migrants wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Haitian migrants use a dam to cross to and from the United States from Mexico, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Haitian migrants set up make-shift camp along the Rio Grande after crossing into the United States from Mexico, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Haitian migrants bathe and do laundry along the banks of the Rio Grand after they crossed into the United States from Mexico, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection mounted officers attempt to contain migrants as they cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Migrants wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Migrants wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Migrants wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Migrants pass a fence near the International bridge where thousands of Haitian migrants have created a makeshift camp, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Haitians who were deported from the United States arrive at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, in Port au Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Sep. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A migrant family stands on the shore of the Rio Grande before crossing from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, at sunrise Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Migrants cross the Acandi River on their journey north, near Acandi, Colombia, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. The migrants, mostly Haitians, are on their way to crossing the Darien Gap from Colombia into Panama dreaming of reaching the U.S. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Migrants cross the Acandi River on their journey north, near Acandi, Colombia, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. The migrants, mostly Haitians, are on their way to crossing the Darien Gap from Colombia into Panama dreaming of reaching the U.S. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Migrants arrive on a boat to Acandi, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
A migrant eats breakfast inside her tent at a camp in Acandi, Colombia, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Migrants continue on their trek north, near Acandi, Colombia, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. The migrants, mostly Haitians, are on their way to crossing the Darien Gap from Colombia into Panama dreaming of reaching the U.S. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Migrants continue on their trek north, near Acandi, Colombia, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. The migrants, mostly Haitians, are on their way to crossing the Darien Gap from Colombia into Panama dreaming of reaching the U.S. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Migrants cross the Acandi River on a horse cart in Acandi, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Migrants continue on their trek north, near Acandi, Colombia, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
A family snapshot lies on the ground near a trail used by migrants, near Acandi, Colombia, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Haitian migrants use a dam to cross to and from the United States from Mexico, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
A migrant woman holds her child as she waits in a makeshift camp with others after crossing the Rio Grande to the United States from Mexico, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Thousands of Haitian migrants flocked to a small Texas border city, presenting the Biden administration with a challenge as it tries to manage large numbers of asylum-seekers.
U.S. authorities have moved to expel many of the more 12,000 migrants who were camped around a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, after crossing from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico. Officials are also trying to to block others from crossing the border from Mexico.
It’s a massive show of force that signals the beginning of what could be one of America’s swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants or refugees in decades.
In recent days, many Haitians crossed the Rio Grande into the U.S. Some then waded back through the river to buy supplies in Mexico before returning to the Texas encampment.
Haitians carried boxes on their heads filled with food as they crossed the river. Some removed their pants before getting into the river and carried them, while others were unconcerned about getting wet.
Haitians have been migrating to the U.S. in large numbers from South America for several years, many having left their Caribbean nation after a devastating 2010 earthquake. After jobs dried up from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, many made the dangerous trek by foot, bus and car to the U.S. border.
Some of the migrants at the Del Rio camp said a recent devastating earthquake in Haiti and the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse make them afraid to return to a country that seems more unstable than when they left.