The National Guard Is Heading To The Mexico Border To Help Move Trucks Through Faster
The National Guard Is Heading To The U.S./Mexico Border To Help Move Trucks Through Faster
“They’re here on a security function. They’re not here to be able to do law enforcement. They’re here to secure our border and also to provide security for customs and for border patrol.”
By Carson Frame July 10, 2019 10:48 am
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Carson Frame / American Homefront
Trucks line up to pass through a checkpoint at the U.S./Mexico border in Pharr, Tex. Truckers say the immigration crackdown has led to waitimes as long as six hours to cross the border.
From Texas Public Radio:
Every day, more than 40,000 commercial trucks cross over the Pharr International Bridge into Texas from the Mexican city of Reynosa.
Carrying things like fruits, vegetables and machine parts, they spill out into an intersection with two gas stations. It’s a essential stop for many of the truckers, who often have to idle for hours on the three-mile-long bridge waiting for U.S. customs officials to scan and approve their loads.
“It’s a really long time,” said truck driver Cristián Dávila, as he stood in the shade pumping diesel fuel into his tank. “Sometimes up to five, six hours, depending on the line. Sometimes we get in line at 9 a.m., and we get here at 6 p.m.”
In late March, U.S. Customs and Border Protection began pulling customs agents away from their regular jobs at ports of entry and reassigned them to process migrants at the border.
“When the migrant situation began and they began closing lanes, it became worse,” Dávila said.
CBP has since moved some personnel back to customs processing at the ports. That’s improved wait times somewhat. Dávila said he waited less than an hour on his last trip across the border with a load of mangoes, chile peppers, cucumbers and squash
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