SAN DIEGO — Pedestrian West at the San Ysidro Port of Entry will temporarily suspend operations Saturday at 6 a.m. after reopening last month, border officials said.
The reasoning for the temporary suspension will be “in order to redirect personnel to assist the U.S. Border Patrol with taking migrants into custody,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a news release Thursday.
“The U.S. is continuing to see increased levels of migrant encounters at the southwest border fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals and encourage migration,” CBP said. “As we respond with additional resources and apply consequences for unlawful entry, the migration trends shift as well. We continue to adjust our operational plans to maximize enforcement efforts against those noncitizens who do not use lawful pathways or appointment processes such as CBP One™.”
The announcement comes following the ongoing reopening and closures of PedWest this year. In January, the northbound direction reopened for the first time since April 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It then closed in September because of an influx of migrants and asylum-seekers.
On Nov. 16, the northbound direction reopened, while the southbound direction reopened for the first time in three-and-a-half years on Nov. 20.
CBP says it “will open as many lanes as possible at the Pedestrian East and Otay Mesa crossings to accommodate the potential increase in crossers at those locations.”
“In response to this influx in encounters, we will continue to surge all available resources to expeditiously and safely process migrants. We will maximize consequences against those without a legal basis to remain in the United States. CBP will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation,” CBP said.
The border agency says it will provide updated information as it becomes available in regards to the reopening of PedWest.
Read: Read More