Mexican border state: costs of 'migrant crisis' reach nearly $1 billion

Migrants travel on a train with the intention of reaching the United States, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, October 3, 2023. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The costs of spiking migration for a key Mexican border state due to a sharp downturn in U.S.-bound cargo trucks total nearly $1 billion over about two weeks, state officials said Tuesday, as authorities in both countries struggle with the latest surge.

The state government of Chihuahua announced in a statement that its trade-dependent economy lost more than $947 million between Sept. 18 and Oct. 2, blaming a "migrant crisis" for preventing the usual flow of goods from crossing into the United States.