The reopening comes with strict safeguards, including mandatory inspections of every imported animal and continued cooperation with Mexico's eradication efforts. While the move should ease pressure on cattle producers and supply chains, officials emphasize that the threat remains real, with active screwworm cases still being reported in Texas and livestock movement restrictions remaining in place across affected counties.

NOTE: this article was originally published to v-magazine-usa.com on July 25, 2026. It was written by Saul Pink.

The United States will reopen parts of the southern border to Mexican cattle imports in August after keeping it closed for more than a year to prevent the spread of the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that infects calves and threatens the cattle industry.

The port of entry for cattle in Douglas, Ariz., will reopen on Aug. 24, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

Forty-two screwworm cases had been reported in the U.S. as of Friday, according to the USDA. All but one case has been in Texas.

The Trump administration closed the border to cattle imports in spring 2025 in response to a rise in screwworm cases in northern Mexico. The Biden administration had cut off imports for the same reason in 2024 but President Donald Trump reopened it shortly after taking office in January 2025.

Screwworm flies lay eggs in open wounds and feed on living flesh, damaging — and often killing — livestock. In rare cases, the maggots can infect humans.

They pose a major threat to Texas' $17 billion cattle industry, which produces more beef than any other state in the U.S. The flies can also infest any warm-blooded animals, including pets. 

READ MORE: After finding first new case of screwworm, Texas ranchers dusting off a game plan from the '60s

“The closure of the Southern ports of entry for the last year has been a tough but necessary action to control the spread of NWS in Mexico and protect the American livestock industry,” Agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement.

The plan to reopen the border to cattle is contingent upon Mexico adhering to a joint action plan to combat the screwworm outbreak, the USDA said in a statement. Every animal that crosses the border will be screened for screwworm. 

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller praised the move.

“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,” Miller said in a statement. “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.”

The fight against the parasite is ongoing.

The Texas Animal Health Commission has restricted the movement of cattle in 22 different Texas counties due to the parasite. Any warm-blooded animal in a so-called “Infested Zone” can’t leave the area without approval from the state.