US President Donald Trump took a step back on Tuesday from his threat to close the US southern border to fight illegal immigration, as pressure mounted from companies worried that a shutdown would cause chaos to supply chains.
Trump praised efforts by Mexico to hinder illegal immigration from Central America at its own southern border. On Monday, the Mexican government said it would help regulate the flow of migrants. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell joined Democrats in warning Trump against such a move. Automakers exported nearly 2.6 million Mexican-made vehicles to the US in 2018, accounting for 15 percent of all vehicles sold in the country. Some, like the Chevrolet Blazer SUV, are only made in Mexico.
"Wait times in Brownsville were around 180 minutes, which were two times the peaks of last year," said a senior DHS official on a call with reporters. DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Manuel Padilla, a 30-year veteran of the US Border Patrol, would now serve as the agency's coordinator on the border response.