United States and Mexico Border Non-Essential Travel Restrictions Extended to November 21, 2020
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2020
The United States and Mexico governments announced that the non-essential travel restrictions for border travelers have been extended for another month until November 21, 2020 as a measure to limit the spread of COVID-19 cases.
Acting United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolff announced on Monday, October 19, 2020, in his tweeter account that the non-essential travel border restrictions between the United States, Canada, and Mexico were being extended until November 21, 2020 “to limit the spread of COVID.” Wolf added that the United States is “working closely with Mexico and Canada to identify safe criteria to ease the restrictions in the future and support our border communities.”
These U.S.-Mexico border non-essential travel restrictions were originally imposed on March 21, 2020 for a 30 days period and have since been extended monthly, including the most recent extension to November 21, 2020.
The City of Eagle Pass, Texas, similar to other U.S.-Mexico border cities, is sustaining a significant financial blow to its municipal fiscal budget of up to $600,000 per month because of decreased vehicle traffic revenues at its two international bridges, which it relies for 40% of its annual fiscal budget.
The City of Eagle Pass has lost up to $4.2 million in revenues from decreased vehicle traffic at its two bridges during the past seven months and is on schedule to lose another $600,000 as a result of the extension of these travel restrictions to November 21.
Although the City of Eagle Pass has a contingency reserve fund for such an emergency, this reserve fund will be depleted if the travel restrictions are extended past January 2021 and might have to take dire financial decisions such as laying off employees, reducing municipal services, and raise ad valorem property taxes in 2021.
City of Eagle Pass leaders were greatly disappointed on the extension of the non-essential travel restrictions to November 21 after joining many U.S.-Mexico border leaders lobbying efforts of President Donald J. Trump to lift the restrictions and reopen the U.S.-Mexico border.
U.S.-Mexico border communities are also suffering financial losses in commercial retail sales, sales taxes, and hotel occupancy room taxes as a result of these travel restrictions.
Critics of these travel restrictions contend that President Trump is using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to promote his anti-immigration policies in the United States.
Eagle Pass city leaders are working on contingency plans in the event that the controversial U.S.-Mexico border non-essential travel restrictions are extended beyond November 21, 2020.
