November 19, 2018

In response to the arrival of migrant caravans, U.S. Customs and Border Protection closed 10 lanes at the San Ysidro Port of Entry and one lane at the Otay Port of Entry on November 19.  CBP also temporarily suspended all northbound vehicle traffic in San Ysidro, as well as PedEast northbound operations for a few hours early in the morning due to reports that a group of migrants was planning to rush the port the entry. This closure caused unprecedented border delays to all vehicle lanes.

The Chamber is concerned with the adverse impacts to our regional economy from these lane closures and urges agencies to return to operations as usual as soon as it is safe to do so.

As CBP, Border Patrol, and the Administration manage the arrival of migrants at the border, the Chamber continues to work with the government agencies to ensure a secure, reliable, and efficient border. On November 20, we hosted a meeting with stakeholders to discuss creative solutions to minimize impacts on the cross-border community. The commercial exchange between Tijuana and San Diego is valued at $2.1 million per day, and the San Ysidro Port of Entry alone experiences over 60,000 vehicle and 20,000 pedestrian crossings into the U.S. daily. With an integrated manufacturing supply chain worth $2.5 billion, the Cali Baja region critically depends on its cross-border connectivity and efficient movement of goods which accounts for a gross regional product of $255 billion.

Click here to read CBP’s full press release regarding recent border activities.

If your business, employees, suppliers, or family is being impacted by increased border delays or could be economically impacted by a potential closure of our land ports of entry, please share your story with the Chamber by writing to kzamarripa@sdchamber.org. We also welcome creative solutions and ideas that will help minimize the impact on our binational community.