Hundreds of men, women and children sleep under the stars, wrapped in survival blankets. In Texas, the authorities are overwhelmed by a sudden influx of migrants into the town of Eagle Pass, along the US-Mexican border. Rafael Johangel, a migrant from Venezuela says that he rushed to the border because of rumors that it was closing for Christmas. "It was hard, it was rough, it was unbelievably cold. The situation on the Mexican side is catastrophic," he says describing his journey. "We entered your land illegally, my apologies, but it was the only way for us to enter," he adds. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES