On March 27, 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan hosted a press conference on the impact of the increase in illegal border crossings along the southwestern border of the U.S.

According to a CBP press release, “[t]he increase is having a detrimental impact on CBP’s primary border security mission.” CBP plans to use the additional funding provided in the fiscal year 2019 budget to augment law enforcement and to provide support for medical services and processing facilities.

In addition, CBP will move up to 750 officers from ports of entry on the southwestern border to support Border Patrol activities. According to CBP, this will result in closing some lanes of entry and increasing wait times for commercial shipments and travelers.

The press release may be found here:

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-commissioner-addresses-current-border-crisis