THERE’S A DISCONNECT ABOUT OUR BORDER CONNECTIONS
In states along the U.S.-Mexico border, one thing that is very clear is that local and state governments are on the same page when it comes to awareness of binational economies in their bordering cities. The states of Baja California and California, for example, have a solid history of working in partnership to improve their ever more interdependent economies.
However, when it comes to the views of the local and federal governments, what we see rather is a very clear disconnect between them.
A recent report by SANDAG, CalTrans and the Imperial County Transportation Commission describes the impacts of entry delays at land ports along the CaliforniaBaja California border crossings, detailing the negative economic effects on both sides. In it, the agencies involved show a wellversed understanding of and concern for the importance of streamlining border crossings for people residing on either side of the border, and for the companies and organizations that operate in the region.
In contrast, shortly before leaving the White House, then-President Donald
Trump signed H.R. 5273 (the Securing America’s Ports Act) into law, mandating that 100 percent of vehicles, trucks and freight trains be scanned at all U.S. land ports of entry. The bill, introduced in 2019 by then-Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, D-New Mexico, effectively directs the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to come up with a plan to “implement X-ray and gamma-ray imaging systems, or similar technology” at border crossings and report back regarding cost and impact on border wait times.
The impact this mandate will have on the San Diego-Tijuana mega economic region will be devastating. Adding a scanner per individual lane will be a heavy cost for the American people, and for people residing in bordering Mexican cities, on top of causing environmental harm by increasing pollution because of the fumes from vehicles waiting longer in line. We have recently also seen vehicles heat up to the point of catching on fire, people having serious medical emergencies and even dying while waiting after the Trump administration began the practice of delaying entry times as long as 12 hours.
Additionally, those who are the most vulnerable, and who will be hit the hardest, are our transborder working-class and student communities who cross on almost a daily basis and who depend on a quick process to get to their destinations on time. Late arrivals and missed work and school days will translate into workers fired and students in academic limbo if not withdrawn, dealing lasting blows to their ability to provide for their families or achieve their goals to attain degrees and move on to better-paid jobs.
It’s open for debate whether Trump and Torres Small, who served only one term in a border district, and the bill’s co-sponsors lack understanding of the catastrophic impact of their legislative efforts or if they lack concern for the people of our communities and relied on their political leanings instead of including the voices of the people most immediately impacted.
What we are certain about is that President Joe Biden must prioritize rolling back this effort. His administration must not allow an economic and humanitarian disaster to take place, which is already in the making at full speed.
While locally there is a well-established understanding by people, companies and governments alike that San Diego and Tijuana function as one mega economic region, similar to other cross-border economies along the U.S. southern border, this reality seems yet to be fully understood by policymakers in Washington, D.C. It is most crucial to continue to highlight interdependent cross-border regions at the national level of conversation to influence the policy-making agenda, and for the voices and needs of our transborder communities to be taken into consideration.
President Joe Biden must prioritize rolling back this misguided effort before it leads to an economic and humanitarian disaster in border regions.