US law enforcement agents carried out exercises using barbed wire and concrete blocks Friday at a crossing on the border with Mexico as tensions crept up ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Vehicle crossings on an international bridge connecting Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas, were delayed for almost 40 minutes while US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials trained, according to an AFP journalist.
According to the CBP office in El Paso, the exercises began in 2019 and are designed to ensure that agents are prepared for possible border situations.
Residents in Ciudad Juarez said the exercises have increased as Trump prepares to take office on Monday, vowing to deport the most undocumented migrants in US history.
“This is the second closure I’ve seen this week,” said Yadira Martinez, who was among those trying to cross.
Ciudad Juarez is a key entry point for migrants fleeing poverty, violence, or political instability in their home countries.
It also serves as an official entry point for those filing asylum applications through the US government’s CBP One app.
Tijuana, another Mexican border city, declared an emergency to prepare for potential deportee arrivals.
Trump has promised to declare a national emergency at the border with Mexico and expel millions without residency papers.
