Let us rejoice and celebrate the Lukeville re-opening. For now, that is. It was announced earlier today that the gates will open for travelers on Thursday, January 4, 2024. For most of us with interests in Rocky Point Mexico, this is much more of a cause for a Happy New Year celebration than January 1st.
Lukeville, Arizona Port of Entry – closed for a month.
Unfortunately, it was because a matter of simple math grew into a complex problem: “Too many became too many.”
Too many migrants tried to enter the U.S. border illegally through the U.S. border with Mexico. Check that. It was WAY TOO MANY. The tiny towns of Sonoyta, Sonora, and Lukeville, Arizona were overmatched. More importantly, the team of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Lukeville Port of Entry were overwhelmed. Same for their frustrated and exhausted counterparts at the U.S. Border Patrol.
Personally, I couldn’t help but notice the buildup in the months of September, October, and November. On my drives to and from Rocky Point through the Lukeville Port of Entry, there were more migrants than I had ever seen there before. But what I didn’t see coming was the spike in December.
More than 10,000 migrants a day in Lukeville
The Lukeville re-opening is great news. The cause for the closing was not. Granted, that 10,000 number is staggering. But some days, the number of those entering the country illegally through this small border crossing was closer to 20,000. No one person was the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back.” There were opportunists making it more like truckloads of straws which shattered the camel’s back.
For many reasons, I am not going to speculate on the illegal aspects of the matter. However, I will not speculate on the legal reasons for the Lukeville re-opening either. U.S. officials have simply stated the numbers of immigrants being processed in Lukeville have dropped.
The truth is, we don’t know why. And we sure don’t know how. Nor do we have a clue where those during the December rush or those after it are today.
New Month,Year, & Hope for Puerto Peñasco.
It was a month that felt like a year. That is the reality of the situation when the border cuts off the people and businesses in the seaside resort town of Puerto Peñasco. Yes, they are used to depending on tourism. The winter months are always the slow time of year.
However… the difference between slow and a grinding halt is worlds apart.
So now, the Lukeville re-opening means there is again a direct path for Americans to the place often called, “Arizona’s Beach.”
I strongly suggest think of the Lukeville re-opening like winning a single battle, not the war. Clearly, the influx of illegal immigration into the United States didn’t coincidentally peak in Lukeville, Arizona in December. We don’t know the future. But given 2024 is another U.S. Presidential Election year, there will be plenty of air in this major political football.
In the meantime, be happy. But don’t be overconfident. Be grateful. But don’t be blind. Be supportive of Rocky Point Mexico. They need tourism now, not just when you need the beach in the spring and summer.