U.S. Customs and Border Protection is temporarily closing the PedWest border crossing at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in response to increased illegal crossing attempts along the southwest border.
Closing PedWest allows CBP to reallocate officers to help Border Patrol agents encountering migrants along the border, the agency said in a press release Thursday.
The closure will begin Saturday at 6 a.m. The agency didn't say when the closure would be lifted. Additional entry lanes at the PedEast and Otay Mesa crossings will be opened during the closure at PedWest, according to CBP.
"In response to this influx in encounters, we will continue to surge all available resources to expeditiously and safely process migrants. We will maximize consequences against those without a legal basis to remain in the United States. CBP will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation," the CBP release said.
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
In a post on X Thursday afternoon, Chief Border Patrol Agent Patricia D. McGurk-Daniel shared security footage showing what she said was 75 people guided by smugglers climbing over the border wall near San Ysidro on Wednesday.
"Criminal organizations continue to use people as pawns by placing them into dangerous situations as a means of pulling Border Patrol resources away from our law enforcement mission," a follow-up post said. "San Diego Sector will continue to address these humanitarian challenges to the best of our ability, while still prioritizing public safety."
Local
CBP said it has also closed down land crossings in Eagle Pass, Texas, and Lukeville, Arizona
