The United States will begin processing current Mexican residents of the Matamoros camp into the U.S. this week, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

According to the DHS, current camp residents who qualify will complete all necessary security screenings, as well COVID-19 testing. The most vulnerable migrants will be given priority for immediate review. New arrivals to the Matamoros camp will not gain entry into the United States through this limited process.

“This action is the next phase in the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to a safe, orderly, and humane migration process, while continuing to strictly enforce our existing immigration laws and border security measures,” The DHS statement reads.

“The government – at all levels – has been clear: Individuals should not believe smugglers or others claiming the border is now open. The Administration will enforce existing immigration laws.”

In a recent Fox News op-ed, Sara A. Carter described the harrowing journey migrants take to cross the border.

Last month, 19 migrants and smugglers were found shot and burned near the Texas border, she said.

The investigation is ongoing, however, authorities in Mexico believe the victims did not pay the local cartel’s pisos, a sort of tax imposed for using their territory to move people across, and were allegedly murdered by Mexican state police officers.

The Texas border is known for its harsh environment. Art Del Cueto, president of the National Border Patrol Council’s Local 2544 in Tucson, told Carter that the cartels care little about the migrants crossing, as long as they collect their cut of money from the smuggling organizations every month.

The State Department designates the major cartels as Transnational Criminal Organizations, and they collect so-called taxes from migrants being smuggled into the U.S.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents often warn that the drug cartels are not inhibited by rules, regulations or changing policies. The cartels operate under their own rules and the migrants, along with the nation’s own national security.

Law enforcement officials say the Biden administration’s reversal of Trump’s strict border policies is the reason why there’s been a significant escalation in violence, human trafficking and smuggling of contraband since the beginning of the year. Biden’s immigration policies are being used by the cartels to increase their profits and lure thousands of undocumented migrants to the U.S.

Follow Annaliese Levy on Twitter @AnnalieseLevy