The United States will reopen four legal border crossings between the United States and Mexico on Thursday due to high levels of illegal immigration have decreased and have released personnel, US border authorities reported on Tuesday.
The United States will resume operations at an international bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas, two crossings in Arizona and another near San Diego, CaliforniaThe country’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a press release, adding that it will continue to prioritize border security “as necessary.”
U.S. border authorities faced difficulties processing migrants in December when apprehensions reached nearly 11,000. in a single day, a number that several current and former officials said was near or at a record.
Mexican and U.S. officials pledged last week to work more closely to confront the record migration on their common border, after senior US officials traveled to Mexico to meet with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Mexican authorities have stepped up immigration enforcement in recent weeks, including the transfer of migrants to southern Mexico and the resumption of deportation flights to Venezuela, a senior U.S. official said during a call with reporters Tuesday, requesting anonymity as a condition of the briefing.
US border authorities detained an average of 6,400 immigrants a day last week, according to an internal US government report reviewed by Reuters, which represents a sharp decline compared to the levels recorded before Christmas
Another U.S. official warned that migrant crossings have historically slowed between Christmas and New Year’s.
“We have seen in the last year periods of increased meetings and periods of decreased meetings,” the official said. “We will continue to be prepared to respond to these types of surges.”
U.S. Congressional lawmakers remain in talks about a potential deal that would combine increased border security measures with foreign aid, including military funding for Ukraine, officials said.
