WASHINGTON – The Border Trade Alliance says closing international rail crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border harms the economy, hurts the relationship between the two countries and drives up costs.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced over the weekend that it would be temporarily suspending international railway crossings in Eagle Pass and El Paso in order to redirect personnel to assist with the processing of an influx of migrants.
The rail crossing suspensions at both ports of entry began at 8:00 am Monday local time.
“The Department of Homeland Security in the last few weeks has closed an international bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas, a land port of entry in Lukeville, Ariz., and a pedestrian crossing in San Ysidro, Calif. Today’s railway crossing closures make a bad situation worse, inflicting even more economic harm on the U.S.-Mexico relationship and driving up costs,” said BTA President Britton Mullen.
“The cross-border trade community has acknowledged the difficult challenge facing DHS as it confronts a significant spike in migrants at the border, but closing a border crossing is never the answer. The Biden administration must reopen these ports of entry right away.
“These port closures are a byproduct of Congress and the administration’s failure to adopt a border security and immigration reform package that can balance our economic and physical security. The public and private stakeholders whose livelihoods depend on a well-managed, well-resourced, and secure border have waited long enough.”
Since 1986, the BTA has served as a grassroots, non-profit organization that provides a forum for discussion and advocacy on issues pertaining to border development and quality of life and trade in the Americas. One of its board members is Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr., pictured above.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Laredo echoed the BTA’s remarks.
“The crisis at our border is seriously affecting legitimate trade. This year alone, vehicle and rail operations have been suspended at multiple ports of entry due to an overwhelming number of migrants, worsening delays for truck drivers transporting goods and costing our economy millions. Our border communities desperately need more federal resources, and we need tougher measures at the border. We must secure the border now,” Cuellar said, in a post on social media.
CBP issued this statement on Sunday: “CBP is continuing to surge all available resources to safely process migrants in response to increased levels of migrant encounters at the Southwest Border, fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals. After observing a recent resurgence of smuggling organizations moving migrants through Mexico via freight trains, CBP is taking additional actions to surge personnel and address this concerning development, including in partnership with Mexican authorities.”
A Department of Homeland Security official told CNN that CBP apprehended nearly 3,000 migrants over the weekend in the Eagle Pass area, and around 1,300 people in El Paso — many of whom came from Venezuela.
The most recent developments come as the Biden administration negotiates with Senate Republicans over more stringent immigration restrictions in exchange for foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said: “The Biden administration has announced CBP will issue yet another closure of two Texas-Mexico rail bridges, which will stop critical goods like farmers' grain and other consumer goods from flowing between our countries. President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas's failed immigration policies must not stand in the way of commerce.
"We frankly need to increase the flow of commercial traffic between the U.S. and Mexico, and I have been leading the fight in Congress to remove unnecessary barriers and build new international bridges. Instead, this administration is prioritizing the processing of illegal aliens and won't even staff the bridges we already have. We need legal commerce, not illegal immigration. Time to prioritize American families and keep the bridges open.”
According to the CBP, there were more than 2.4 million apprehensions at the U.S-Mexico border in the fiscal year that ended in September, 30. That broke the record of 2.3 million from the year before.
CBP reported more than 188,000 apprehensions in the month of October.
