In an unusual move, US authorities have shut down several bridges and ports along the border with Mexico in an effort to contain illegal migration. The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) closed two railway bridges in Texas, shut down another bridge for vehicles seeking entry into the US, and reduced a third bridge to just one lane. This decision left thousands of migrants stranded on the border and disrupted cross-border activities ahead of the busy Christmas week.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a law giving the state’s police full authority to arrest and deport migrants seen crossing the border illegally. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sharply rebuked the move, arguing that Texas had no jurisdiction in US federal matters. The American Civil Liberties Union and Texas Civil Rights Project filed a lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of the new law.
Data from CBP indicated that about 3,000 migrants had been detained on Monday at Eagle Pass, with most coming from Venezuela, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Officials reported over 10,000 arrests every day along the entire US-Mexico border in December.
A separate report from the US Census Bureau revealed that a surge in immigration was driving population growth in the US. The nation added 1.6 million people, with over two-thirds coming from international migration, bringing the total population to 334.9 million. Population growth had declined during the pandemic, but immigration rebounded last year, and this year saw 1.1 million immigrants entering the US, a level not seen since 2001. Demographer William Frey at The Brookings Institution highlighted the significance of immigration for future population growth, stating, “The immigration piece is going to be the main source of growth in the future.”
Post Your Comments