06 Apr 2019 | 07:26 PM UTC
US/Mexico: Lane restrictions on Bridge of Americas cause delays as of April 6 /update 2
US customs and immigration close cargo lanes on Bridge of Americas every Saturday as of April 6; traffic slowdowns reported at crossing between El Paso (US) and Ciudad Juárez (Mexico)
Event
US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials announced the closure of all cargo lanes on the Bridge of the Americas at the US-Mexico border every Saturday effective Saturday, April 6. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reportedly redeployed hundreds of officers away from points of entry to address "processing" and the "transportation" of migrants. The move has resulted in slowdowns at the aforementioned border crossing between El Paso (Texas state, US) and Ciudad Juárez (Chihuahua state, Mexico), with average delays of up to 120 minutes. Elevated wait times and delays were also reported at Paso Del Norte and Ysleta crossings on Saturday.
Additional security and personnel adjustments, as well as partial checkpoint closures, may result in further congestion and increased wait time for processing people or goods crossing the border in the coming days.
Context
President Trump threatened to close "large portions" of the US-Mexico border on March 29; Trump has previously threatened to close the US-Mexico border though no such closures have gone into effect.
The US is currently experiencing a large number of migrants seeking asylum arriving at ports of entry or having crossed into US territory.
Advice
Individuals traveling overland across the US-Mexico border are advised to monitor developments to the situation and allow additional time to clear customs and immigration. For further information on delays at the Bridge of Americas crossing, consult the CBP website.
