Border Patrol re-opens El Paso area inland checkpoints in aftermath of shootings

The U.S. Border Patrol has re-opened its inland checkpoints around El Paso after closing them for several months due to staffing shortages.

The re-openings were announced Monday as El Paso grapples with the aftermath of a mass shooting that left more than 20 people dead. Authorities are investigating links between the suspected gunman and a racist, anti-immigrant screed that was posted online.

Amid fears that immigrants in the U.S. illegally might not seek help after the shooting, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced it wouldn’t do any enforcement at area hospitals or shelters.

The re-opened checkpoints are used by Border Patrol agents to check vehicles coming north for human or drug smuggling. The agency closed them in March because agents were needed to process and detain surging numbers of migrant parents and children.