Updated: December 21, 12:15 p.m. MST

By Railfan & Railroad Staff

Rail traffic between the United States and Mexico at Eagle Pass and El Paso, Tex., has resumed for the first time since Monday after the U.S. Customs & Border Patrol closed both ports so that staff at those sites could be relocated to other locations to deal with migrants trying to enter the United States. The closures impacted Union Pacific and BNSF Railway, both of which called on the government to reopen the ports. 

“The Biden Administration made the right decision to protect our supply chain and keep goods moving between the U.S. and Mexico,” said AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies. “In the face of the unprecedented humanitarian crisis, CBP has been working under exceptionally difficult circumstances, but these ill-advised closures were a blunt force tool that did nothing to bolster law enforcement capacity. As CBP continues their work to address this crisis, railroads strongly encourage the agency to abandon this tactic moving forward in favor of approaches that are capable of meaningfully enhancing its response capabilities.

The closure of the border came with little warning on Monday.