The U.S. Border Patrol has brought back its mounted horse unit after a two-year pause, citing a significant drop in asylum-seeker crossings.

The unit had been stood down in 2023 due to the overwhelming number of people arriving at the border to claim asylum, which required reallocating manpower to processing and support duties. With crossings now slowed, officials say they have the personnel available to return agents to field patrols on horseback.

Mounted units play a key role in patrolling rugged terrain and areas inaccessible to vehicles, providing greater visibility and mobility for agents.