United States: The United States will reopen four legal US-Mexico border crossings on Thursday as high volumes of illegal immigration have receded, freeing up manpower, according to US border officials on Tuesday.
Reopening Details
The United States will restart operations at an international bridge at Eagle Pass, Texas, two crossings in Arizona, and another near San Diego, California, according to a news release from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), adding that border security will be prioritized “as necessary.”
Previous Challenges
Border officers in the United States struggled to process migrants in December as apprehensions reached nearly 11,000 in a single day, which several current and former officials said was close or at a record high.
According to US sources, lawmakers are still negotiating a compromise that would combine heightened border security measures with foreign aid, including military funding for Ukraine.
“We gotta do something. They ought to give me the money I need to protect the border,” US President Joe Biden told reporters on his arrival at the White House on Tuesday evening, apparently referring to members of Congress.
Collaboration with Mexico
Following a meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, top US officials agreed last week to work more closely together to address record migration at their shared border.
Mexican officials have increased immigration enforcement in recent weeks, including relocating migrants to southern Mexico and beginning deportation flights to Venezuela, according to a senior US source who requested anonymity as a condition of the briefing. The reopening of the border crossing is celebrated on Tuesday evening in Mexico.
“This will benefit the economies of both countries,” Mexico’s foreign ministry said in a statement, having previously urged for the reopening of border crossings between the two countries.
Decrease in Migrant Arrests
According to internal US government data reviewed by Reuters, border agents arrested an average of 6,400 migrants per day during the last week, a significant decrease from levels before Christmas.
A separate US source on the conversation emphasized that migrant crossings often decline between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
“Over the last year, we have seen 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.”
Senator’s Negotiation
The White House and a small, bipartisan group of senators have been negotiating a plan that would significantly alter the country’s asylum and border security rules. Republicans in Congress have made any additional military aid to Ukraine and Israel, as well as funding for border operations — critical components of President Biden’s multibillion-dollar national security package — contingent on congressional Democrats and the White House supporting asylum restrictions and broader legal authority to deport migrants illegally crossing the US southern border.
According to those involved in or briefed on the talks who sought anonymity to discuss the closed-door conversations, the White House has signaled its willingness to accept draconian limits on asylum and a massive expansion of detention and deportation activities.
When reporters at Joint Base Andrews asked what he planned to do about the border after returning Tuesday from a family vacation in St Croix, US Virgin Islands, President Biden said, “We’ve got to do something. They should provide me with the funds I require to safeguard the border.”
As the president seeks reelection, border security has emerged as a key electoral vulnerability.