United States and Mexico May Close Border to Non-Essential Traffic on Friday, March 20th Due to COVID-19
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2020
According to U.S. House of Representatives Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo), Veronica Escobar (D-El Paso), and Will Hurd (R-San Antonio), the United States and Mexico have been discussing a mutual agreement to close the U.S.-Mexico border to non-essential traffic due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) similar to the recently announced U.S.-Canada border closure this week, limiting travel to only essential traffic and commercial trade.
Reports emanating from Washington, D.C. are that President Donald J. Trump may announce this mutual U.S.-Mexico border closure as early as Friday, March 20, 2020.
City of Eagle Pass officials issued a press release earlier this week stating that the City’s two international bridges with Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico remained open and were expected to remain open despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Eagle Pass temporarily closed down its visa office at Mall de las Aguilas due to the COVID-19 outbreak as well as reduced mall hours.
Reports are that the proposed border shutdown of non-essential traffic between the United States-Mexico border may pattern the same guidelines as those of the U.S.-Canada agreement.
U.S. House of Representative Veronica Escobar of El Paso, Texas advised the El Paso-Juarez border to prepare contingency plans in the event the U.S.-Mexico border is temporarily closed to non-essential traffic.
The two international bridges composing the Eagle Pass International Bridge System are an integral economic generator to the fiscal budget of the City of Eagle Pass contributing up to $11 million per year, or, up to 25% of the total annual fiscal budget.
In the event of a temporary closure of the U.S.-Mexico border due to the public health emergency of COVID-19, the City of Eagle Pass may face a financial crisis as it heavily relies upon the revenues generated by its two international bridges with Mexico.
Eagle Pass City-leaders are bracing themselves for the potential news from Washington, D.C. that the U.S.-Mexico border may be temporarily closed to non-essential traffic, limited to only essential traffic between the two countries.
The State Department has issued an advisory to all Americans who are traveling abroad or living abroad to return to the United States and avoid traveling out of the country as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Congressman Joaquin Castro, Chairman of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus, noted that any temporary closing of the U.S.-Mexico border be for the public health emergency of the COVID-19 and not for any political purposes.
Over 17 million people live and work on the U.S.-Mexico border and Mexico is the United States’ second largest trading partner. Border residents are on pins and needles about any potential announcement.
