DEL RIO, Texas — Editor's note: The video above originally aired on Sept. 18.
Two flights transporting Haitian migrants left the U.S. early this morning heading back to Haiti, according to Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano .
The flights left around 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. but the airport they flew from was unknown, officials said.
On Saturday, the Biden Administration announced plans to send many of the thousands of Haitian immigrants who have gathered in a Texas border city back to their Caribbean homeland, in response to the huge influx of people who suddenly crossed the border from Mexico and congregated under and around a bridge.
An administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity expected two flights per day, at most, and said all migrants would be tested for COVID-19.
The details were not finalized but they were said to begin Sunday, Sept. 19.
Haitians on Friday crossed the Rio Grande freely and in a steady stream, going back and forth between the U.S. and Mexico through knee-deep water, with some parents carrying small children on their shoulders.
Nearly 13,000 migrants remain under the International Bridge in Del Rio and the surrounding area. A press conference was planned later Sunday with the Del Rio Mayor, Chief Ortiz and the Department of Public safety.