Trump administration to resume cattle imports on southern U.S. border amid parasite outbreak

Shortly after Donald Trump's inauguration in 2025, his administration briefly reopened the border, only to close it again months later as the pest spread further north in Mexico. The Wall Street Journal first reported the impending reopening.

Agriculture Secretary Rollins has been at odds with other administration officials over the border closure, particularly those advocating for increased beef imports. Reports indicate that Rollins resisted recommendations from some USDA officials to reopen the border, and she and her team disputed advisers who believed that increased imports were safe and that containment plans for the screwworm would be effective.

Rollins has defended her decision to keep the border closed as a measure to contain the screwworm outbreak. She acknowledged last month that the closure presented "a significant economic challenge to various sectors of our industries in Texas." On a June 4 call, she told reporters, "There is no doubt that closing the ports last May caused higher prices in beef." However, she stated that she and the president agreed that protecting livestock producers was paramount given the outbreak's progression in Mexico.