R-CALF USA

R-CALF USA Applauds Border Closure to Protect U.S. Cattle Herd; Calls for Further Investigations

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 10, 2025 – Late yesterday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins ordered the immediate closure of southern border ports to livestock trade following renewed threats from New World Screwworm (NWS) spreading north from Mexico. The latest case was located just 370 miles south of the U.S./Mexico border.

“Closing the border is essential to protecting the health of the U.S. cattle herd and the integrity of our nation’s food supply,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard. “We applaud Secretary Rollins for not caving to global trade interests and for taking swift, necessary action to put America first.”

On June 30, Rollins had announced the phased, risk-based reopening of select southern ports for cattle, bison, and equine imports from Mexico. The Douglas, Arizona, port reopened on July 7, where an estimated 900 head of cattle reportedly crossed into the United States.

R-CALF USA had strongly opposed the reopening, calling it premature. In a joint letter with 19 county, state and national organizations, the groups urged Rollins and the Trump administration to keep the border closed until Mexico eradicates the disease.

The group is calling on USDA and Mexican officials to continue their joint disease control efforts, including sterile fly production and release, and to keep the ports closed until NWS is fully eradicated from Mexico. R-CALF USA and the county and state organizations that joined the earlier letter have urged the secretary to provide a science-based, quantitative risk assessment that the public can review and comment on through the agency’s rulemaking procedures.

R-CALF USA also seeks a federal investigation into reports of cattle being smuggled into Mexico from Central American countries.

“This pest highlights the need for the United States to sever its dependency on foreign supply chains for such an important foodstuff as beef. We need the USDA to champion new policies that will incentivize the rebuilding of our domestic beef supply chain,” said Bullard.

Source: R-CALF USA