Cargo truck operations at an El Paso, Texas, port of entry have been temporarily suspended as West Texas border agents shift to immigration duties amid an influx of migrants attempting to cross into the U.S.
On Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) transferred some personnel away from El Paso’s Bridge of the Americas cargo operations to address the influx, according to CBP officials.
“The temporary suspension at Bridge of the Americas will allow CBP officers to assist the U.S. Border Patrol in processing noncitizens who have arrived between the ports of entry including vulnerable populations like families and unaccompanied children,” CBP said in a news release on Friday. “CBP regularly plans for and executes contingency measures, such as this, to support the overarching agency mission and ensure the safety and wellbeing of those in the agency’s custody.”
El Paso leads the United States in total migrants encountered at the Mexican border over the past 10 months, with 364,092.
The Bridge of the Americas is one of two commercial U.S.-Mexico border crossings in El Paso, the other being the nearby Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge.
More than 650,000 cargo trucks crossed the border using the Ysleta-Zaragoza bridge in 2022, while 161,439 trucks used the Bridge of the Americas.
Maru Campos, the governor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, said the closure of the Bridge of the Americas will hurt cross-border trade. Chihuahua is across the Texas-Mexico border from El Paso.
“This closure means the suspension of the passage of at least 600 trailers a day to the U.S. … which could represent approximately $33 million a day,” Campos told El Universal. “We understand the pressures to which the U.S. authorities are subject due to what is happening in the border area … which is why we are urging the Mexican government to resolve these cross-border issues.”
Cross-border truck drivers should plan to utilize the Ysleta-Zaragoza bridge, the Marcelino Serna port of entry, or the Santa Teresa port of entry in New Mexico, CBP said.
The Ysleta-Zaragoza bridge and Santa Teresa are roughly 15 to 17 miles away, while Marcelino Serna is about 40 miles south of El Paso.
“CBP will remain in communication with stakeholders and provide updates related to these contingency plans as they become available,” CBP officials said. “The agency will work to return to normal operations as quickly as feasible.”
Cargo truck wait times at the Ysleta-Zaragoza bridge are currently 100 minutes in the general commercial lanes and 75 minutes for vehicles permitted for the Free and Secure Trade program lanes.
The Santa Teresa port of entry currently has a wait time of 40 to 45 minutes for cargo trucks, while the Marcelino Serna port of entry has wait times of five to seven minutes.
The El Paso port of entry was the 44th busiest international gateway for U.S. trade in July, accounting for about $8 billion in trade, according to Census Bureau data analyzed by WorldCity.
In April, CBP also suspended cargo operations at the Bridge of the Americas for four days due to an influx of migrants.
Click for more FreightWaves articles by Noi Mahoney.
More articles by Noi Mahoney
Borderlands: Mexico remains top US trade partner in July
GXO lays off 92 workers at Texas distribution center
CH Robinson expands border footprint with major facility in Texas