Provided by Texas Department of Agriculture
AUSTIN, TX (NEWS RELEASE) – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today praised the decision to allow a limited resumption of cattle importation from Mexico but expressed continued concern about the ongoing disruption to the U.S. cattle industry due to the New World screwworm.
The following statement may be attributed to Commissioner Miller:
“Resuming cattle importation from Mexico is the right move for ranchers and American consumers, but it’s a decision that should have been made sooner. While I’m pleased to see this important trade relationship restored, the prolonged closure has already taken a toll on producers, disrupted supply chains, and created uncertainty that could have lasting consequences for the cattle industry.
This decision comes on the heels of last week’s binational New World Screwworm Summit that I hosted with our partners in Mexico, Texas, and New Mexico, where leaders from both sides of the border sat down with one goal in mind: protecting animal health while preserving the flow of agricultural trade. The summit produced broad agreement that the best path forward is one built on science, cooperation, and proven biosecurity measures, not unnecessary disruptions that hurt the very producers we’re trying to protect.
I want to thank Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins for responding to my call to reopen our border to importing cattle.
However, USDA’s current approach to the New World screwworm threat has not gone far enough. While there have been important steps in the right direction, the pace and scale of the screwworm response have not matched the threat. USDA has spent more than a year reacting instead of getting ahead of the problem, and our producers have paid the price. We cannot afford to rely on half-measures when billions of dollars in livestock production are on the line.
This reopening is welcome news, but it’s not the finish line. We need a sustained commitment to aggressive use of every proven eradication tool. We must protect American livestock and ensure our ranchers never have to endure this kind of disruption again.”
Cattle raisers respond to phased reopening of U.S.-Mexico border
FORT WORTH, Texas (July 24, 2026) — Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Stephen Diebel today issued the following statement after U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced plans to resume live cattle imports at the port of entry in Douglas, Arizona, within the next 30 days, followed by the phased reopening of two additional ports of entry in New Mexico:
“Our members need the ability to maintain commerce, but they also need assurance that every reasonable safeguard is in place to reduce the risk of New World screwworm. USDA’s decision to conditionally reopen limited ports of entry to cattle imports through a phased approach reflects many months of work by USDA, state partners and cattle raisers to strengthen the nation’s response to New World screwworm.
The temporary closure of the border provided valuable time to strengthen surveillance, expand sterile fly production and distribution, and implement protocols needed to manage New World screwworm. That work has laid the foundation for this measured, phased reopening.
Our priority has always been twofold: protecting the U.S. cattle herd and wildlife while ensuring cattle raisers can continue to operate and markets can function. TSCRA will continue closely monitoring the situation and will not hesitate to urge the immediate closure of these ports should science indicate the risk has changed.
We want to thank Secretary Rollins, our federal and state partners, and our members for their continued commitment to this issue, and we look forward to continuing the fight alongside them to eradicate this pest.”
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