The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has begun closing several temporary soft-sided facilities (SSFs) along the southwest border due to a decrease in border apprehensions following executive orders from President Trump. These orders, enacted on January 20, led to a historic low in illegal crossings, reducing the need for temporary processing sites.
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection release, acting CBP Commissioner Pete Flores stated, "Due to the unprecedented drop in apprehensions of illegal aliens as a result of President Trump's leadership, CBP is reducing the number of temporary, soft-sided processing facilities where illegal aliens have been held in specific locations along the southwest border." The decrease in apprehensions resulted in an average of approximately 330 nationwide apprehensions per day in February, the lowest in CBP's recorded history.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to close SSFs in Donna, North Eagle Pass, and Laredo, Texas, as well as Yuma and Tucson, Arizona. Facilities in San Diego, California, and El Paso, Texas, will remain open. Resources from the closed sites will be reallocated to other border security efforts.
The closures will allow Border Patrol agents to return to their primary duties and save costs. U.S. Customs and Border Protection estimates savings between $5 and $30 million per month for each facility closed. Despite the closures, the agency will continue to meet legal requirements by maintaining contracts for medical and caregiver support for in-custody aliens. Flores explained the agency will adjust medical and caregiver services based on the closure of the SSFs.
