The number of immigrants crossing the border into Arizona unchecked has swelled so severely that the federal government on Monday shut down a port of entry to pull those federal customs officers to manage the illegal immigration crisis.

Travelers looking to come or go from either country must drive three to five hours to the next closest port of entry in Nogales as a result of the Biden administration's diverting customs officers to help Border Patrol.

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“Beginning December 4th, CBP’s Office of Field Operations will temporarily suspend operations in Lukeville, Arizona, in order to redirect personnel to assist the U.S. Border Patrol with taking migrants into custody," U.S. Customs and Border Protection Tucson Director of Field Operations Guadalupe H. Ramirez said in a statement. "Both northbound and southbound pedestrian and vehicle traffic at Lukeville Port of Entry will be suspended until further notice."

Illegal immigration hit a record high of 17,500 immigrants arrested for unlawfully entering the United States from Mexico, specifically in southeastern Arizona, between Nov. 24 and Nov. 30, according to the Border Patrol's top regional official. That weekly total was up from approximately 15,650 the previous week.

Last week, the Washington Examiner reported that Border Patrol had internally informed agents of an "all hands on deck" response to an "unprecedented surge" of illegal immigrants. Agents were temporarily pulled from manning highway checkpoints, had training classes canceled for the week, and even diverted from desk jobs, such as posting updates on the organization's local social media.

"As you are aware, Tucson Sector is experiencing an unprecedented surge of illegal entries in our [area of responsibility]," Tucson, Arizona, leadership wrote in an email to agents this afternoon, according to a copy obtained by the Washington Examiner on Nov. 27. "This morning we had more than 5,000 people in custody — far more than our holding capacity."

But over the weekend, thousands more immigrants crossed illegally, overwhelming Border Patrol to the point that regional leaders chose to cancel all training events and move desk agents to the field to help transport and process people in custody.

Agents outside Tucson in San Diego said they and agents nationwide are doing "virtual processing," or interviewing immigrants who are physically in Tucson by video to get through the intake.

One local reporter there said immigrants have gone from waiting to be taken into custody for hours to several days. Immigrants have waited in line along the border wall in Lukeville, Arizona, after coming across through open sections of the wall where criminal organizations in Mexico push people through into the U.S.

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Data obtained by the Washington Examiner on Monday morning showed that Border Patrol facilities in the Tucson region had more than 4,300 people in custody, not including the countless number of immigrants sitting on the border, waiting to be transported to a station or tent processing center.

In Tucson, Border Patrol released 1,176 immigrants into the U.S. on Sunday. Immigrants released may go on to seek asylum while they navigate removal proceedings in court, which take an average of several years.