US border crossings closed in response to illegal entries: Which ones are affected?
In response to the increase in illegal immigrants across the southern border of the US, the country has chosen to temporarily close two of its entry points.
The immigration crisis on the southern border of the United States continues to be an issue that federal, state and local authorities are trying to address. In response to the increase in the flow of illegal crossings, authorities have chosen to close two border crossings, which had become a important migratory route in recent months.
US border crossings closed in response to illegal entries: Which ones are affected?
According to official information from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the border crossings affected, are the Eagle Pass International Bridge 1, in Texas, which will be closed; and the entrance to Lukeville, in Arizona, traffic will be reduced.
“The U.S. is continuing to see increased levels of migrant encounters at the Southwest Border, fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals and encourage migration. As we respond with additional resources and apply consequences for unlawful entry, the migration trends shift as well,” CBP said in a statement.
With this decision, the aim is to decongest the area of immigrants who have not gone through the proper channels to cross the border legally, since Eagle Pass stood out for being the border point with the highest number of illegal crossings in 2022; while the entry of undocumented immigrants also increased in Lukeville. At this second site, the increase in crossings occurred due to the location of the entry point, since it is a small town in the middle of the desert, with the entrance gate in the expansive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
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When will border crossings reopen?
According to the CBP statement, the closures are temporary. However, the reopening date has not been set, which means that the entry points will remain closed until further notice. Said decision will depend on the results of the “evolving situation.”
It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time that CBP has taken the decision to temporarily close crossings. In September, the pedestrian crossing in San Diego was closed, which lasted several weeks and helped reduce the number of irregular crossings in October, after the month prior was the second month with the most arrests of immigrants crossing illegally since records began.