As more illegal border crossers continue to flood the southwest border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is temporarily suspending vehicle processing at a port of entry in Texas as well as one in Arizona.
CBP announced that they will reduce and suspend vehicle processing due to a surge in encounters along the southwest border.
The agency said that beginning at 3 p.m. local time Monday, vehicle processing operations at the Eagle Pass International Bridge have been temporarily suspended. In Lukeville, Arizona, vehicle processing has been reduced.
CBP is redirecting personnel to assist border patrol agents with taking illegal aliens into custody and processing them.
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.
Only people traveling into the U.S. will be affected by the new suspension. Those who are traveling southbound into Mexico will still be able to travel without restrictions.
The City of Eagle Pass took to social media to share the news, saying they were not in control of the suspension.
“This decision was made by the federal government and NOT the City of Eagle Pass,” reads the post. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
Eagle Pass is located in the Del Rio sector of the southwest border. During Fiscal Year 2023, the sector saw 393,226 encounters—14 times the population of Eagle Pass. Meanwhile, only one month into Fiscal Year 2024, the sector has already seen 38,211 encounters.
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham says the suspension emphasizes the severity of the border crisis.
“At a time when Americans are seeing record-high inflation, the Biden Administration is prioritizing illegal immigration over lawful trade and travel,” Buckingham told Texas Scorecard, “If we had a President concerned with the lives of everyday Americans, we would eliminate the lures and incentives that created this humanitarian crisis and prioritize border security and American prosperity.”
