Visual documentation of the soft-sided, expedited processing facility in Laredo, Texas, Sept. 23, 2021. The facility provides a suitable location for agents to house and process single adults, family member units, and noncitizen unaccompanied children arriving at the southwest border.
Due to a drop in apprehensions at the border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it'll remove five soft-sided facilities (SSFs) along the U.S.-Mexico border that it no longer needs to process migrants.
The CBP said Friday nationwide apprehensions dropped to an average of about 330 per day in February, the first full month since President Donald Trump signed an executive order making changes to border security.
Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are
WATCH HERENBC News reported that encounters along the border are the lowest since tracking began 25 years ago. One reason is that "the Trump administration ended the CBP One program that allowed migrants to book asylum appointments via a phone app while waiting at the border. Now, migrants are turned away at the border even if they approach legal ports of entry, a policy that immigration advocacy groups have opposed in court."
SSFs were used to humanely process, care for and transfer migrants and unaccompanied children who were crossing the border illegally.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning with NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP With so few encounters and apprehensions, the SSF sites aren't needed. CBP said last week they started removing three SSF sites in Texas in Donna, North Eagle Pass, and Laredo, and two more in Arizona in Yuma and Tucson. SSFs in San Diego, California, and El Paso will remain open.
“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,” said Pete Flores, acting CBP commissioner. “CBP no longer has a need for them as illegal aliens are being quickly removed. The U.S. Border Patrol has full capability to manage the detention of apprehended aliens in its permanent facilities. Manpower and other resources dedicated to temporary processing facilities will be redirected toward other priorities and will speed CBP’s progress in gaining operational control over the southwest border.”
The closures, along with associated reductions in related contracts for wraparound services, are expected to save between $5 million and $30 million per month at each facility.
Agents assigned to the SSFs are expected to return to their primary enforcement duties along the border.
