The federal government has reopened two shuttered railroad crossings at the southern border after halting all trains from entering the country at the two ports since Monday, a move that had infuriated Republicans and Democrats alike.

United States Customs and Border Protection announced Friday afternoon that it would begin admitting trains at the ports of entry in Eagle Pass, Texas, and El Paso, Texas, even as illegal immigration across the border in both cities continues to soar.

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“Beginning December 22, 2023 at 2:00 pm Eastern, CBP’s Office of Field Operations will resume operations at the international railway crossing bridges in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas," CBP said in a statement Friday.

“CBP will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation. We continue to assess security situations, adjust our operational plans, and deploy resources to maximize enforcement efforts against those noncitizens who do not use lawful pathways or processes such as CBP One™ and those without a legal basis to remain in the United States," the agency said in a statement.

Lawmakers applauded the decision to reopen cross-border railways.

“Today, cross-border rail operations in Eagle Pass and El Paso will resume. The closure of these two crossings had a detrimental economic impact that disrupted critical trade and commerce,” said Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), whose district includes both cities. “Our focus must be on putting solutions forward that ensure a closure like this does not happen again in the future.”

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), whose district is near Eagle Pass, said the news was a "welcome development."

"We need to have order and control at our borders, and we need to prioritize the flow of legitimate trade and travel through our ports to keep our economies strong," Cuellar wrote in a post to X, formerly Twitter.

In recent months, immigrants in Mexico have jumped aboard freight trains and rode them into the United States.

Despite the reopening of the rail crossings, other ports of entry remain closed. The Lukeville port of entry in southcentral Arizona has been closed for nearly three weeks despite blowback from Democrats, including Gov. Katie Hobbs and Rep. Ruben Gallego.

On Friday afternoon, the Border Patrol's top agent in the Tucson, Arizona, region said arrests of illegal immigrants topped 19,400 in the past seven days, which was the most ever in a week's time. That figure has only increased from 17,500 three weeks ago.

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In California, the pedestrian crossing bridge where 20,000 people legally pass into the U.S. daily remains closed.

President Joe Biden announced Thursday evening that he would send senior administration officials to Mexico to engage in talks about the illegal immigration crisis.