Supervisor sought border funding for Calexico during conference
EL CENTRO — Imperial County Supervisor John Renison is confident funding for complete buildout of the Calexico-West Port of Entry will be included in the fiscal year 2019 federal budget.
“We are really interested in getting that funded,” he told Imperial Valley Press over the phone Friday.
To pursue funding, Renison, District 1, in late August made a trip to Mexico City to participate in a roundtable discussion with the Border Trade Alliance during the Building a Competitive U.S.-Mexico Border Annual Conference on what needs to be done to ensure the efficient flow of commerce across the Mexican border.
Also in attendance at the conference were Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kansas, chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee; Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and Filemón Vela, D-Texas; and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan.
Securing funding for the Calexico-West Port of Entry “was one of my main purposes of being there as well as to talk with other representatives of [border communities] and to speak directly to the commissioner of Customs regarding personnel needs for Calexico,” Renison said.
Renison’s travel expenses will be covered by Imperial County since this was an official trip, he said, although the exact amount was unknown as of press time Friday.
Port of entry
The existing pedestrian and vehicle inspection facility, built in 1974, cannot accommodate existing traffic loads and modern Department of Homeland Security requirements, according to the U.S. General Services Administration.
GSA began reconfiguring and expanding the existing port to increase vehicle and pedestrian capacity and enhance security. The project involves the creation of new pedestrian and privately owned vehicle inspection facilities and expansion of the port on the site of the former commercial inspection facility, whose operations moved to Calexico-East in 1996.
Site and design work for the updated Calexico-West Port of Entry — the third busiest land port in California — began in fiscal year 2007 at a cost of $12.4 million and continued into fiscal year 2008 at an additional cost of $9.4 million. Construction of Phase 1 began in fiscal year 2015 and has cost about $98 million, according to the U.S. General Services Administration.
Phase 1 consists of five southbound lanes for privately owned vehicles and a southbound bridge over the New River, 10 northbound POV inspections lanes with primary and secondary inspection canopies, booths and inspection equipment, a new head house and additional work to accommodate those facilities. About 360 port staff parking spaces also are being added.
The 10 northbound lanes are scheduled to open Tuesday at 8 a.m., according to a release issued Friday.
Phase 2, which is estimated to cost about $248 million, will include additional site work, demolition of the existing port building, a new pedestrian processing facility, administrative offices, five southbound POV inspection lanes with canopies and booths, and six additional northbound POV inspection lanes. The date construction will begin for Phase 2 has yet to be determined, and funding has not yet been appropriated by the federal government.
Economic ties
During the conference, Chairman Yoder emphasized the economic importance of trade between the United States and Mexico, as well as the vital role the Department of Homeland Security plays in facilitating safe and efficient exchange between the two countries.
“A healthy trade relationship between the United States and Mexico is crucial for our respective economies,” Yoder said in a prepared statement. “As chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, I understand the role that agencies under the Department of Homeland Security play in ensuring that this trade can move safely and efficiently. My briefings from the State Department and my conversations at the BTA roundtable helped me get a better picture of the benefits and challenges that currently surround our trade and border security situation.”
Renison agreed the economic ties between the two countries are essential, especially in Imperial County.
“The border is our lifeblood,” he said. “If it wasn’t for our daily crossings into the United States, we might as well close up. If you go out to the mall, 60 percent of the license plates are [issued in] Mexico. We are tied at the hip. My district’s big priority is the border, and since I represent the border I have to do everything in my power to make sure we are doing everything.”
Renison noted it was important for Imperial County to have a voice at the roundtable because California, with only one congressional representative presiding over a border region — Juan Carlos Vargas, D-51st District — has historically been outnumbered by counterparts from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
“It is always heavy on Texas and Arizona,” Renison said, adding Vargas was not in attendance at the roundtable in Mexico City. “If you look at the dynamics, you only have one border congressman. They have many along the Texas border.”
Supporting CBP
Yoder said when it comes to cross-border commerce, he is committed to supporting CBP.
“A key component in keeping our trade routes secure is the work done by the men and women of Customs and Border Protection,” he said. “Every day, they ensure that goods traveling into our country from Mexico are safe, while also working efficiently to ensure that trade can flow quickly to its destinations. In my FY 2019 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, I included funding to hire over 500 new officers and over $300 million for non-intrusive inspection equipment and enhancements to the automated commercial environment to speed up the inspection process at our border. While CBP has struggled in the past few years to retain and hire new officers, I believe they are making improvements, and I stand ready to help them with any barriers that remain to retain and hire officers and agents. These additional CBP agents will also reduce opioid drug smuggling across our border and continue in our efforts to stop the opioid crisis and to save lives.”
Renison said during the conference he was vocal about securing a portion of the new officers for the Calexico-West Port of Entry.
“They are always talking about how they are short-funded,” he said. “They are in the process of hiring several hundred new CBP inspectors and we want to make sure they don’t forget us. They needed to see a face with the name.”
NAFTA
Just a few days before the conference, President Donald Trump and President Peña Nieto announced the United States and Mexico had reached an agreement in principle to update the North American Free Trade Agreement.
“During the BTA roundtable, I discussed these developments, and how they will promote further cooperation and information sharing to enable our countries to handle legitimate and safe shipments quickly while addressing those that pose risk,” Yoder said. “It is my hope that our two nations can continue to build on these agreements and further facilitate efficient trade.”