Immigration checkpoints on highways leading from the Mexican border into the United States have been closed because the U.S Border Patrol has reassigned agents to El Paso, Texas, to process a massive influx of migrant families, agency officials said.
"To process and ensure appropriate care for those in custody, resources including personnel have been diverted from other border security priorities," U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Monday. "Currently, El Paso sector has shut down immigration checkpoints and moved agents to assist with the processing of these aliens."
The move, which authorities called temporary, enables motorists to move unimpeded down highways into the United States, improving travel times. When immigration checkpoints are open all drivers have to pull off the highway and stop so Border Patrol agents can ask travelers their citizenship status. Authorities also use sniffer dogs around vehicles to check for illegal drugs.