International Rail Crossings Reopen in Texas
CBP resumed operation of the Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, rail crossings at 2 p.m. EST on Dec. 22 after it temporarily suspended operations earlier this month to help the U.S. Border Patrol address an influx of migrants (see 2312180023).
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The agency said: “CBP will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation. We continue to assess security situations, adjust our operational plans, and deploy resources to maximize enforcement efforts against those noncitizens who do not use lawful pathways or processes such as CBP One and those without a legal basis to remain in the United States."
The Association of American Railways had said that moving four or five CBP officers to help with irregular migration didn't make much of a difference in helping with the surge, but moving them away from screening rail cargo was disruptive to commerce.
Railroad operator Union Pacific "estimates more than $200 million in goods, wages and transportation costs are lost each day the El Paso and Eagle Pass border crossings remain closed. Halted goods include agricultural products (grain held in 6 Midwest states), food and beverages (beer and dry food products), automotive (finished vehicles and parts), consumer goods and industrial commodities (metals and cement)," the AAR said earlier in the week, during the rail closure.
The administration also received pressure from Iowa's congressional delegation to reopen the crossings.
The pedestrian border crossing remains closed in Nogales, Arizona, and one of San Diego's pedestrian crossings is also closed; the Eagle Pass car traffic also is suspended, and the entire port of entry in Lukeville, Arizona, where much of the surge is flowing, is closed (see 2312010066).