On November 4, 2025, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins delivered a stark message: the United States is not yet ready to reopen its border to Mexican cattle, citing an ongoing outbreak of the flesh-eating New World screwworm parasite. Despite mounting pressure from ranchers, lawmakers, and consumers feeling the pinch of record-high beef prices, Rollins told Reuters, "We’re still not at the point where I am comfortable opening the ports, but I think every day that goes by we get a little bit closer."
The border between the U.S. and Mexico, a crucial artery for North American livestock trade, has been largely closed to Mexican cattle since May 2025. The closure, intended to prevent the screwworm's northward march, has left about 250,000 head of cattle stranded just south of the U.S. border. According to Rollins, “The key is keeping the screwworm away from the southern border of America, and it’s gotten really close — too close — so now we just have to make sure we can push it back.”
The New World screwworm is no ordinary pest. This parasitic fly’s females lay eggs in wounds on animals; once hatched, the larvae burrow through living flesh, often killing their host if left untreated. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that if the pest breaches the border, it could inflict a staggering $1.8 billion in damages to Texas’ economy alone. So far, U.S. officials maintain that the screwworm has not crossed into American territory, but Rollins noted that there have been 11 cases in Mexican states bordering the U.S. in recent months—all of which, she said, were contained and treated.
Rollins’ recent visit to Mexico City included meetings with President Claudia Sheinbaum and other top officials. While she had criticized Mexico back in September for not doing enough to halt the pest’s spread, her tone shifted after these meetings. “The efforts of both countries were ‘a completely different, more sophisticated, impressive operation’ than where they were in the spring,” she told Reuters. She added, “Mexican officials have taken it very seriously,” and described her impression of President Sheinbaum as “very impressed.”
Rollins went so far as to call the current collaboration "the most collaborative effort, perhaps in our lifetime, between the two different departments of agriculture." Despite the improved cooperation, she declined to give a timeline for reopening the border, saying she would confer further with top U.S. officials on November 6 and keep President Donald Trump closely informed on developments.
But while the parasite threat is the central concern, the situation is complicated by another factor: the illegal movement of cattle across borders. In Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas, which borders Guatemala, ranchers have pointed fingers at organized crime groups involved in livestock trafficking. These groups, they say, smuggle animals from Central American countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua—often using counterfeit ear tags and forged documents to sneak them into Mexico. Rollins acknowledged this as a “big issue” and praised Mexico’s recent efforts to ramp up protections and checkpoints to better control illicit livestock trade.
The border closure has had ripple effects throughout the U.S. beef industry. Herd sizes have dwindled to their lowest levels in decades, even as American appetites for beef remain robust. This supply squeeze has pushed beef prices to record highs. Yet, Rollins insists that economics will not override biosecurity. “I think that we can never compromise the safety of the herd for the cost,” she said, warning that a premature reopening could backfire, leading to even greater losses if the screwworm establishes a foothold in the U.S.
“Rising beef prices, however, are a ‘non-factor’ in considering whether to reopen the border,” Rollins told the press. “I want to have every confidence that we have overturned every stone, that we understand every nuance, that we are deploying every tool in the toolkit.”
As the U.S. government hesitates at the border, it is also exploring other avenues to address the beef shortage. During her stop at the National FFA Convention & Expo, Rollins confirmed that the Trump administration is considering modest increases in beef imports from Argentina. These imports, she explained, would primarily supply lower-cost ground beef, helping to offset shortages caused by trade restrictions and port closures. “The amounts under discussion would remain small,” she assured, signaling that the administration is treading carefully.
Still, the proposal to expand Argentine beef imports has not gone unchallenged. Lawmakers from both political parties have voiced concerns about potential animal health risks and the broader implications for trade imbalances. According to reporting from the National FFA Convention, bipartisan criticism has surfaced, with some legislators worried that increased imports could expose the U.S. to new animal diseases or undermine domestic producers already struggling with tight supplies.
For now, the fate of those 250,000 cattle waiting in Mexico remains uncertain. Ranchers on both sides of the border are caught in a holding pattern, anxiously watching for updates from Washington and Mexico City. The stakes are high—not only for the livestock industry but for consumers as well, who have seen beef become an increasingly expensive staple at the grocery store.
Meanwhile, the specter of organized crime and illegal cattle movement continues to loom over the region. The federal government in Mexico has faced criticism from ranchers in Chiapas and elsewhere for not doing enough to crack down on these groups. The illicit trade not only threatens to undermine containment efforts but also gives rise to extortion and violence in rural communities. Rollins acknowledged these concerns and said she plans to "dig into" the issue further, highlighting the need for continued vigilance on both sides of the border.
Looking ahead, Rollins will reconvene with top U.S. officials on November 6 to reassess the situation and determine next steps. She remains adamant that the border will stay closed until the screwworm threat is fully contained. For now, the message from the Agriculture Secretary is clear: caution and collaboration must come before commerce, even as the costs mount for ranchers and consumers alike.
As the U.S. and Mexico grapple with the twin challenges of disease control and economic pressure, the outcome will hinge on their ability to sustain this newfound spirit of cooperation—and to keep a relentless pest at bay.