Arizona Border Crisis: Migrant Influx Overwhelms US Agents, Shuts Down Lukeville Crossing

Local leaders warn closure could harm trade and tourism, as border security becomes a top issue for voters ahead of presidential elections.

Shift in smuggling routes has led to an influx of migrants from diverse countries at a remote area on Arizona's southern border, overwhelming US Border Patrol agents.
The US government has shut down the international crossing between Lukeville, Arizona, and Sonoyta, Mexico, to free Customs and Border Protection officers for migrant-related tasks.
Closing the Lukeville crossing has drawn criticism from local leaders, who warn it could harm trade and tourism.
US authorities have been so short-handed that they have used charter flights to transfer some migrants from Tucson to three Texas border cities for processing.
The border is a top issue for voters heading into next year’s presidential elections, with about half of US adults saying increasing security at the US-Mexico border should be a high priority.