US shuts down animal imports from Southern border to protect Americans

President Donald Trump’s administration is putting a temporary halt to cattle, horse, and bison imports from southern border ports due to the rapid spread of a concerning new insect.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the move on X, attributing the pause to New World Screwworm.

Look:

Due to the threat of New World Screwworm I am announcing the suspension of live cattle, horse, & bison imports through U.S. southern border ports of entry effective immediately.

The last time this devastating pest invaded America, it took 30 years for our cattle industry to…

— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) May 11, 2025

“Due to the threat of New World Screwworm (NWS) I am announcing the suspension of live cattle, horse, & bison imports through U.S. southern border ports of entry effective immediately,” she wrote. “The last time this devastating pest invaded America, it took 30 years for our cattle industry to recover. This cannot happen again.”

A post from the USDA.gov website contained additional information from Rollins.

“The United States has ordered the suspension of livestock imports through ports of entry along our southern border after the continued spread of the New World Screwworm in Mexico. Secretary Berdegué and I have worked closely on the NWS response; however, it is my duty to take all steps within my control to protect the livestock industry in the United States from this devastating pest,” she said. “The protection of our animals and safety of our nation’s food supply is a national security issue of the utmost importance. Once we see increased surveillance and eradication efforts, and the positive results of those actions, we will remain committed to opening the border for livestock trade. This is not about politics or punishment of Mexico, rather it is about food and animal safety.”

According to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the New World Screwworm Fly is a “devastating pest” that is “endemic in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and countries in South America, with cases spreading north to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Mexico.”

“When NWS fly larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage to the animal. NWS can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds, and in rare cases, people,” the site explains.

“Adult screwworm flies are about the size of a common housefly (or slightly larger). They have orange eyes, a metallic blue or green body, and three dark stripes along their backs,” a description of the insect reads.

Writer/Columnist

Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to BizPac Review.

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