The big picture: A massive influx of immigrants at the southern border has led U.S. Customs and Border Protection to divert resources from busy crossings in Arizona and Texas.
- Republicans say the Biden administration needs to do more to address the issue, and former President Trump says he is “closing the border” as one of his first acts if he returns to office.
Yes, but: There is evidence that even partial closures can have devastating consequences.
- After railway operations in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, were temporarily suspended this month to send officers to process migrants, businesses reported a drop in traffic and damage to local economies.
- Eagle Pass and El Paso account for $33.95 billion annually in trade — just shy of 36% of all cross-border rail traffic to and from Mexico, according to the Texas Association of Business.
State of play: CBP is surpassing 10,000 encounters with migrants along the southern border per day and is seeing record numbers of illegal crossings this month, per the Washington Post.
- Geopolitical conflicts, climate change and sophisticated smuggling networks are drivingmore people from Central America, the Caribbean, South America, Asia, Europe and sub-Saharan Africa to make dangerous journeys to the U.S. without permission, absent many legal options for entry.
A complete border shutdown, as proposed by several candidates vying for the GOP nomination for president, could cost the U.S. billions of dollars in trade and create chaos for U.S. citizens and Mexicans who cross through both sides daily to shop, buy cheaper medicine or attend school.
- Food and fuel chains would be disrupted. Auto parts would become scarce. In less than a month, Americans may run out of avocados.
- Grocery and gas prices could surge, and Mexico, which is currently experiencing economic growth, would be thrown into disarray, which could spark more migration.