U.S. halts freight railway crossings in western Texas to address influx of migrants

HOUSTON, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Starting from Monday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) temporarily halted freight train railway crossings at border bridges in Eagle Pass and El Paso, western Texas, amid the latest efforts to address the influx of migrants.

CBP said that the decision is to shift staffing to assist the U.S. Border Patrol with taking migrants into custody and processing while prioritizing border security.

"After observing a recent resurgence of smuggling organizations moving migrants through Mexico via freight trains, CBP is taking additional actions to surge personnel and address this concerning development, including in partnership with Mexican authorities," the agency said in a statement.

"CBP is continuing to surge all available resources to safely process migrants in response to increased levels of migrant encounters at the southwest border, fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals," the agency said.

More than 1,500 daily migrant encounters by CBP in the El Paso area along with 2,695 migrants in custody and 363 daily migrant releases were reported on Sunday, according to an El Paso Times report.

The railway closures will directly impact Union Pacific and BNSF, which operate 24 trains daily at the crossings, carrying agricultural products, vehicles, automotive parts, chemicals and consumer goods for companies across North America, said the report, citing the American Association of Railroads.

"The urgency of reopening these crossings and restoring rail service between the two nations cannot be overstated," American Association of Railroads President and CEO Ian Jefferies said in a statement.

"There are not separate U.S. and Mexican rail networks; there is only one interconnected North American rail network. Every day the border remains closed unleashes a cascade of delay across operations on both sides of the border, impacting customers and ultimately consumers," he said.

U.S. House Representative Tony Gonzales, a Republican from San Antonio, southern Texas, said it is "time to sound the alarm" to find policy solutions to an immigration crisis that slows legitimate trade.

"Our entire southern border is being dismantled by the cartels," Gonzales said in a statement, adding that border law enforcement agents "are exhausted ahead of a demoralizing holiday season that will keep them working overtime."

In recent weeks, CBP already suspended vehicle operations at multiple ports of entry including Eagle Pass International Bridge 1, California's San Ysidro Pedestrian West, and Arizona's Lukeville Port of Entry, Texas Public Radio reported.

In the fiscal year that ended in September, there were more than 2.4 million apprehensions across the U.S.-Mexico border, breaking the record of 2.3 million from the year before.