December 18, 2023

(Video courtesy of CBS 8 San Diego)

This month, Ped West Land Port of Entry suspended operations indefinitely and reallocated local personnel to assist at other ports out of state. 

Elected officials and regional business leaders have expressed concern due to the devastating impact on San Diego’s economy and cross-border community, particularly amidst the busiest time of the year. Without PedWest, travelers are experiencing up to five-hour waits as the PedEast facility processes the up to 25,000 pedestrians that cross through San Ysidro every day. 

Subsequently, cross-border trade and commerce continue to be impacted at land ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection suspended vehicle processing operations indefinitely at the Eagle Pass and Lukeville ports of entry in Texas and Arizona, respectively

A letter from a trade community coalition, in which the Chamber participated through our membership with the Border Trade Alliance, was sent to Appropriations Committee Chairs and ranking members urging support for language requested by the White House as part of a supplemental spending request that would fund 1,000 new CBP officers. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders and authorities on both sides of the border to address security concerns at the border while also prioritizing legitimate trade and travel, both tremendous economic engines for our binational region.