WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration said on Friday it was reopening two key international crossings between Texas and Mexico to rail traffic five days after they had been closed.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said operations will resume at 2 p.m. ET at the international railway crossing bridges in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas.
Ian Jefferies, CEO of the Association of American Railroads, praised the reopening. “These ill-advised closures were a blunt-force tool that did nothing to bolster law enforcement capacity,” he said. “With the crossings reopened, railroads are focused on closely partnering with CBP to maintain the secure, reliable service that customers deserve and our nation requires.”
The Biden administration on Monday closed the trade routes due to increased migrant crossings. U.S. Border Patrol apprehended about 10,800 migrants at the southwest border on Monday, according to an internal agency report reviewed by Reuters, which several current and former officials said was near or at a single-day record high.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese)
