US Customs and Border patrol staff look on as a person carries a young child through razor wire in Eagle Pass, Texas on September 25, 2023. Dozens of migrants arrived at the US-Mexico border on September 22, 2023, hoping to be allowed into the United States, with US border forces reporting 1.8 million encounters with migrants in the last 12 months.
As part of a renewed attempt to curb the recent uptick in border crossings, Mexico and the United States have reached an agreement to deport migrants from border communities back to their home countries and to take various other measures to discourage migrants.
Mexico-US Deal
A recent surge of illegal crossings into the US caused the temporary closure of an international bridge and the halting of Mexico's primary freight train system. This prompted Mexican authorities to meet with US Customs and Border Protection officials last week in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, just over the border from El Paso, Texas.
El Paso, San Diego, and Eagle Pass, Texas, have all proclaimed states of emergency, and as part of the accord, Mexico promised to "depressurize" its northern towns that border those areas. The National Migration Institute of Mexico reports that over a dozen measures would be taken to discourage migrants from using the dangerous train route to the US border, CNN reported.
As part of the agreement, Mexican authorities committed to enacting a set of 15 measures. Some of these would need collaboration with Customs and Border Protection and Ferromex, such as the deportation of migrants through land and air.
To ensure receipt of their nationals removed from the US-Mexico border, the administration stated it would negotiate with the governments of Venezuela, Brazil, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Cuba. The international bridge in Ciudad Juárez that leads to El Paso will also be open for use by US border patrol officials to evacuate migrants.
Also Read: Mexican Drug Cartels Believed To Send Migrants to US Border To Distract From Smuggling Operations
Fresh Influx of Migrants
This week, an official from the Department of Homeland Security said that the average number of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border in a single day was over 8,600. This is an increase from May when the new guidelines for unlawful border crossers were triggered by the expiry of Title 42. At that time, the average daily border arrests were about 3,500. On Monday, September 25, police made more than 8,000 arrests.
The recent spike in migration is being blamed on a number of factors, including disinformation and an increase in kidnappings in Mexico, according to reports.
The US Department of Defense has been increasing its presence at the border. Officials from the Department of Homeland Security said it will be deploying at least 800 more active-duty officers to join the 2,500 National Guardsmen currently stationed there.
Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Bárcena acknowledged at a news conference at the United Nations on Friday, September, that her country is experiencing its own difficulties as a result of the recent uptick. She added that Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador plans to meet with US President Joe Biden in Washington in November to address migration, as well as drug and gun trafficking.
Also Read: El Paso Officials Order Creation of New Shelter as Texas Scrambles To Address Migrant Surge
