The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on Tuesday the reopening of some ports of entry along the southern border, following a decrease in illegal migrant crossings at the border.
The CBP said it will resume field operations at four entry points—Eagle Pass, Texas; San Diego, California; and both Lukeville and Nogales, Arizona—while continuing to assess security situations at these locations.
Operations at these entry points were halted last month due to “increased levels of migrant encounters at the Southwest border, fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals.”
In a statement on Jan. 2, the CBP said it would continue to assess security situations, adjust operational plans, and deploy resources to maximize enforcement efforts against those who do not use lawful pathways and those without a legal basis to remain in the United States.
“CBP will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation,” the agency stated.
The Mexican government welcomed CBP’s decision to resume operations at the border crossings, saying that it will “benefit the economies of both countries,” according to a statement released by its foreign ministry.
“The Mexican foreign ministry has been in constant communication with CBP authorities at the federal, state, and local levels in order to receive timely information and resume commercial operations at these crossings as soon as possible,” it said.
Mexican and U.S. officials pledged last week to work together more closely to tackle record migration at their shared border after top U.S. officials traveled to Mexico to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Mexican officials have stepped up immigration enforcement in recent weeks, including moving migrants to southern Mexico and resuming deportation flights to Venezuela, a senior U.S. official who spoke on a condition of anonymity told reporters during a call on Tuesday.
A separate U.S. official on the call cautioned that migrant crossings have historically dropped between Christmas and New Year’s Day, but the official did not provide any specifics.
“We have seen over the last year periods of increased encounters and periods of decreased encounters,” the official said. “We will continue to stand ready to respond to these kinds of surges.”
More than 302,000 undocumented migrants crossed into the United States in December, according to Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), marking the highest record for any month.
In a post on X on Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) claimed President Joe Biden’s administration had diverted the stream of illegal immigrants to another location along the border ahead of a visit to Eagle Pass by a group of more than 60 Republican House lawmakers—including House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.)—on Wednesday.
“Don’t be fooled, they are still being released into our country. Under President Biden, our southern border is a disaster,” Mr. Johnson wrote.
