Four Ports of Entry to Reopen After “Easing” of Migrant Surge

Four critical ports of entry that were temporarily shuttered in early December in response to the current migrant crisis are soon to be reopened by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The San Francisco Port, Arizona’s Lukeville and Nogales, Texas’s Eagle Pass, and Arizona’s overall operations and processing will formally resume on January 4.

The four crossing points were first put on hold by CBP as they attempted to reallocate resources to areas that were being hit hard by a surge of migrants, which they described as being “fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals.” An official from the Biden administration informed ABC News that these figures have dropped sharply in recent days, enabling the government to redirect resources towards facilitating the ports’ reopening.

Even though processing has resumed at the ports, CBP has stated that it is still totally dedicated to border security activities. No word yet on whether more closures are in the works, but authorities have promised to “maximize enforcement efforts” against illegal crossings by allocating all available human resources to the task.

Throughout most of 2023, migrant crossings climbed, but they surged considerably higher in the second half, according to statistics. Preliminary data indicates that 302,000 individuals were caught by CBP in December, which is the greatest number ever recorded during that 30-day period.

The most recent statistics from CBP show that the number of encounters with migrants in the Del Rio, Texas area has dropped dramatically over the past few weeks. About 500 migrants were reportedly taken into custody on January 2nd, according to the agency.

Looking at this number in comparison to last month’s data can help put it in perspective. Del Rio, Texas was the site of almost 71,000 migrant encounters in December, with CBP officials averaging about 2,300 apprehensions daily. The data from January 2nd just covers the past 24 hours, but it does lend credence to the idea that the number of contacts per day is going down.

A recent meeting between Secretary Antony Blinken, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of the Department of Homeland Security, and representatives from the Mexican government may have contributed to the precipitous decline in encounters, according to officials. Mexican officials were apparently persuaded to increase their aid for the surge in the days following the disaster. These conversations are expected to continue by the Biden administration.