Migrant Crossings at US-Mexico Border Expected to Remain High in Short Term, but Mexico’s Actions Could Help Reduce Numbers, says CBP Official
(CNN) – Migrant crossings at the border shared by the United States and Mexico are expected to remain high in the short term, according to a senior Customs and Border Protection (CPB) official. However, he also noted that additional commitments from Mexico are anticipated to eventually help reduce the numbers.
Federal authorities faced a new wave of migrants over the weekend, following the previous influx that arrived just last week. On Sunday, Border Patrol agents arrested nearly 9,000 people and detained about 7,500 on Saturday, a Homeland Security official told CNN. The Del Río and El Paso sectors are among the busiest along the southern border of the United States.
“In the short term, we would expect that the numbers will probably stay close to where they were last week, as some of these things come into effect,” the senior CBP official said, referring to further actions by Mexico against the migrant crisis.
“As they come into effect, it will begin to influence people’s calculations about whether or not they should leave where they are now, sell their belongings, leave their homes and move toward the southwestern border of the United States,” the official added.
He also explained that the agency is operating in a “resource-constrained environment” and, as a result, the release of migrants as they go through their immigration procedures has increased.
“We have not received additional resources despite having requested them in the Congressional supplement to be able to expand capacity within CBP, ICE and USCIS for things like expedited removal,” the official told CNN.
Authorities have monitored the number of migrants crossing the treacherous Darien Gap –– which connects Panama and Colombia, and has recently served as a barometer of movement in the region –– and expected an increase in crossings at the southern border of the United States. Joined. But the increase in immigrants, most of whom are from Venezuela, continues to put pressure on federal resources.
The official said migrants have increasingly used trains in Mexico to travel to the southern border of the United States as a result of human trafficking organizations that have advertised that means of transportation on social media.
Over the weekend, the United States obtained a commitment from Mexico to redouble efforts to help depressurize the border, through a series of actions that include patrols, repatriation flights, and carrying out interventions on railways and roads.
“We are working closely with our partners in the south to do everything we can and for them to do everything possible to disrupt and intercept that movement because it is being driven by a series of cartels that are making significant amounts of money taking advantage of vulnerable people, and it is really wreaking havoc in several places, including creating really challenging situations throughout Mexico,” the senior CBP official said.
With the expected increase in migrant crossings, authorities are under pressure to manage resources efficiently and control the influx of migrants. The cooperation between the United States and Mexico is crucial in addressing the root causes of the migrant crisis and ensuring the safety and well-being of those migrating.