USDA begins phased reopening of southern ports to Mexican cattle

Update, 1 October 2026: Douglas is open, Santa Teresa dated 24 September

APHIS's screwworm status page, read on 1 October, confirms the Douglas port reopened on 24 August 2026 and says Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico will be considered for reopening after the Douglas reopening is evaluated, with no date on that page. APHIS's separate page on live cattle imports from Mexico, also read on 1 October, lists the reopening date as 24 September 2026 for Santa Teresa, New Mexico, 24 August 2026 for Douglas, and to be determined for Columbus, New Mexico. Press reports from mid to late September say the same about Santa Teresa. We found no USDA page confirming that cattle have actually crossed at Santa Teresa since 24 September, so check APHIS before relying on it as an open route, and treat Columbus as undated.

Douglas went first, and the release noted it borders Sonora. USDA names Sonora and Chihuahua as the lowest-risk Mexican states for screwworm, citing their strong, well-established inspection programmes and their distance from southern Mexico, where most cases are concentrated. It adds that the two states have maintained a strong animal health infrastructure programme for many years. The department is blunt about the rest of the country: it has not been able to stop the spread, nor stop legal and illegal movement. At the time of the announcement the nearest active case to Douglas was about 325 miles away, detected on 22 July 2026, two days earlier. The Agriculture Secretary put the reopening at 30 days out, and USDA set the date at 24 August 2026.

The two New Mexico ports carried no date in the announcement. APHIS's page on cattle imports from Mexico now lists 24 September 2026 for Santa Teresa and none for Columbus, while its screwworm status page, as we read it on 1 October, still gives no date for either. USDA said it was initiating the operational steps for Santa Teresa and Columbus, and APHIS says it will consider reopening them after it evaluates the success of the initial reopening and any changes to the risk assessment. Species wording was not consistent in the original release: Douglas was described both as reopening to livestock trade and as opening to cattle trade, while live cattle, bison and horses were named only for the New Mexico ports. APHIS's status page now describes Douglas as reopened to cattle imports. Check eligibility with APHIS before booking anything other than cattle. The pause language is broad, covering increased risk in Sonora or Chihuahua identified through post-opening audits or other observations, so a post-opening audit that finds increased risk is enough to pause the sequence.