Migrant 'Influx,' Texas Inspections Causing Some Port Closures, Delays on Southern Border

Texas Department of Public Safety inspections are causing delays at the ports of Eagle Pass and El Paso/Ysleta Bridge, but Southern border ports remain open for commercial processing despite an influx of migrants (see 2109200028), with the exception of rail at Eagle Pass, according to an email from a CBP official sent out by the Laredo Licensed U.S. Customs Broker Association.

CBP Laredo “continues to monitor the migrant situation,” and there has been “a large influx of migrants at the area of the ports of Eagle Pass and Del Rio, but both are still processing commercial truck cargo both northbound and southbound,” the email said. “Management at these two ports are evaluating the ongoing situation and adjusting service operations as needed,” the CBP official said.

However, Texas DPS inspections are “slowing down the ability to exit the import commercial cargo lot and creating long crossing border wait times,” the email said. “This operation may last for up to seven days.”

And as of the evening of Sept. 20, railroad operations at the Port of Eagle Pass “have been temporarily suspended in order to redirect personnel to assist the U.S. Border Patrol with taking migrants into custody. No railroad traffic will be processed until further notice,” the CBP official said. CBP announced the closure, as well as the suspension of processing at Bridge 1, in a statement Sept. 20.

As for other ports under purview of the CBP Laredo field office: “The remaining seven ports of entry Brownsville (2301), Port of Del Rio (2302), Laredo (2304), Hidalgo/Pharr (2305), Rio Grande City (2307), Progreso (2309), and Roma (2310) are still open for commercial processing and not affected by migrant issues,” the email said.

CBP port directors are at the ready to implement their business resumption contingency plans, which if implemented may result in CBP operating basic essential trade processes, a temporary reduction of some trade services, a reduction in the number of lanes and an increase in wait times, the emailed update said.

As for El Paso, the email said Bridge of the Americas is closed to northbound cargo, and Texas DPS inspections are “slowing down the ability to exit the import commercial cargo lot and creating long crossing border wait times” at the Ysleta Bridge. “All other surrounding ports in the El Paso Field Office are open for commercial processing,” the CBP official said.