NEWS
Biden Admin To Reopen 4 Ports Of Entry On The Southern Border Thursday
CITY OF EAGLE PASS
The Biden administration is set to reopen four ports of entry at the southern border on Thursday, after they were closed due to a record number migrants traveling to the U.S.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that operations will resume Thursday at ports of entry in Eagle Pass, Texas; San Diego, Calif.; Lukeville, Ariz.; and Nogales, Ariz.
“CBP will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation, the agency said in a statement. 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 scheduling an appointment via CBP One — and those without a legal basis to remain in the United States.
The ports were closed for much of December. CBP agents processed a monthly record of more than 300,000 migrants in December.
On Monday, border agents processed around 2,500 migrants, a sharp decline.
U.S. officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas traveled to Mexico last week to meet with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and address the record influx at the border.
Mexican officials have since stepped up enforcement on their side of the border to reduce the number of migrants entering the U.S., increasing deportations to southern Mexico and Venezuela.
A $106 billion spending package proposed by President Joe Biden would include funding for operations on the southern border, along with aid for Ukraine and Israel. Republicans in Congress, however, say the funding should be conditioned on passing stricter immigration policies.
Answering a reporter’s question about the border while leaving Marine One at the White House on Tuesday night, Biden said we got to do something.
They ought to give me the money I need to protect the border, he said.
TMX contributed to this article.
