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A2 UP FRONT
Monday 8 January 2024
The U.S. sees a drop in illegal border crossings after Mexico increases

enforcement

By VALERIE GONZALEZ AND busing them to the south- thorities.
ELLIOT SPAGAT ern part of the country and “I told her, `Don’t trust
Associated Press started flying some home them. Let’s go into the
EAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) to Venezuela. brush,’” Bermudez said,
— Daniel Bermudez’s fam- Even if temporary, the de- adding that other migrants
ily had fled Venezuela and crease in illegal crossings had fled. He recalled her
was headed to the U.S. is welcome news for the telling him, “Why are they
to seek asylum when the White House. President Joe sending us back if we have
freight train they were rid- Biden’s administration is an appointment?”
ing through Mexico was locked in talks with Senate Last week, Bermudez, his
stopped by immigration of- negotiators over restricting stepchild and two other rel-
ficials. asylum and $110 billion in atives were waiting for her
His wife tried to explain that aid for Ukraine and Israel at a shelter in the Mexican
her family had permission hangs in the balance. border town of Piedras Ne-
to go to the U.S. Instead, Bermudez said his wife be- gras as she took a bus back
they flew her to Mexico’s came separated from her in hopes of still making the
southern border as part of family when she talked to date. Texas Department of Public Safety troopers help guide migrants
a surge of enforcement authorities as he gathered Mexico’s immigration to a processing area after they crossed the Rio Grande from
actions that U.S. officials his stepchild and their be- agency sent at least 22 Mexico into the U.S., Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass,
Texas.
say have contributed to a longings. He wanted to flights from its border region Associated Press
sharp drop in illegal border run, but his wife said they with the U.S. to southern cit-
crossings. shouldn’t because they ies during the last 10 days tracks flight data. Most jor hit” while a bridge was
In addition to forcing mi- had followed procedure of December, according were from Piedras Negras, closed to vehicle traffic so
grants from trains, Mexico by making an appointment to Witness at the Border, which is across the border border agents could be
also resumed flying and with U.S. immigration au- an advocacy group that from Eagle Pass, Texas. reassigned to help process
Mexico also ran two remov- migrants, Maverick Coun-
al flights to Venezuela with ty Judge Ramsey English
329 migrants. The stretch Cantu said.
was punctuated by U.S. “We survive pretty much
Secretary of State Antony from everything that comes
Blinken’s visit to Mexico City from the Mexican side,” he
on Dec. 28 to confront un- said.
precedented crossings to Last month, CBP resumed
the United States. freight crossings in Eagle
Mexican President Andrés Pass and El Paso, Texas,
Manuel López Obrador after a five-day shutdown
said a financial shortfall that U.S. officials said was
that had led the immigra- a response to as many as
tion agency to suspend 1,000 migrants riding atop a
deportations and other op- single train through Mexico
erations was resolved. He before trying to walk across
did not offer details. the border.
Arrests for illegal crossings In Piedras Negras on Thurs-
into the U.S. from Mexico day, Casa del Migrante
fell to about 2,500 on Mon- housed about 200 migrants,
day, down from more than down from as high as 1,500
10,000 on several days in recently.
December, according to Among them was Manuel
U.S. authorities. In the Bor- Rodriguez, 40, who said
der Patrol’s busiest area, his family will miss their ap-
arrests totaled 13,800 dur- pointment to seek asylum
ing the seven-day period that was made through
ending Friday, down 29% the U.S. government’s CBP
from 19,400 two weeks ear- One app. He said the ap-
lier, according to Tucson, pointment was registered
Arizona, sector chief John with his in-laws, who were
Modlin. deported to Venezuela af-
The drop led U.S. Customs ter authorities boarded the
and Border Protection to bus they were riding.
reopen the port of entry in “It was all under her name
Lukeville, Arizona, on Thurs- and she lost everything,”
day after a monthlong Rodriguez said.
closure on the most direct Proposals being discussed
route from Phoenix to its by the White House and
nearest beaches. The U.S. Senate negotiators include
also restored operations at a new expulsion authority
Eagle Pass and three other that would deny rights to
locations. seek asylum if illegal border
Merchants in Eagle Pass, a crossings reach a certain
city of about 30,000 peo- threshold.q
ple, saw sales take “a ma-