Mexico and the United States have announced an agreement to address the recent increase in illegal migrant crossings at the border between the two countries. As reported by CNN News, Mexican officials met with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, to discuss joint measures. The increase in illegal crossings has led to several challenges, including the temporary closure of an international bridge and disruptions to the Mexican freight train system.

As part of the deal, Mexico agreed to take several steps to discourage migrants and to ease pressure on its border cities, including El Paso, San Diego and Eagle Pass, Texas. In addition, they plan to implement actions to make it more difficult for migrants to use the rail system to reach the U.S.-Mexico border.

The number of migrant crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border has increased significantly, surpassing 8,600 in a 24-hour period on some occasions, a much higher number than the roughly 3,500 daily detentions before Title 42 expired in May. Nonprofits and officials in border communities suggest that this increase may be the result of misinformation and smuggling in Mexico, among other factors, according to the same publication.

According to the publication, the most affected border cities include Del Rio, El Paso, Lower Rio Grande Valley and Tucson, with each facing more than 1,000 migrant arrivals in the past 24 hours. The situation has reached a critical point, with El Paso facing a large number of migrants, straining its resources. A shelter in the city has been opened to accommodate the surge in migrants, and a large influx is expected in the coming days.

The U.S. Department of Defense has also increased resources at the border, sending more active-duty personnel to join the National Guard already on duty. However, Mexico also faces its own challenges, with about 6,000 migrants arriving daily at its southern border, many of whom are from Central America. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador plans to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden in November to discuss issues of migration, drug trafficking and firearms.

The agreement between the two countries includes the deportation of migrants to their countries of origin, negotiations with various governments to confirm the receipt of their deported citizens, and the implementation of measures to make crossings more difficult.

“Other terms of the agreement include submitting a daily report of the number of migrants on the train system to Customs and Border Protection’s El Paso sector, establishing checkpoints along the Ferromex rail route and conducting interventions on railways and highways, according to Mexico’s National Migration Institute. The institute said Mexico had deported more than 788,000 migrants to their home countries from January 1 to September”, according to the CNN article.

However, some experts believe the increase in deportations from Mexico may not address the underlying problem, which includes rising violence in certain regions of Mexico that has fueled more migration, especially from Mexican families seeking asylum in the U.S.

In addition, smugglers are blamed for the recent surge in migrants, using migrant groups as a distraction to transport narcotics and criminals into the U.S.