Border closure to non-essential visits is extended another month
Marks one year in effect; will continue until March 21
SAN LUIS, Ariz. – Next month will mark one year that the port of entry here and in other U.S. border cities have been closed to all but essential visits by Mexican citizens to the United States.
The U.S. Department of Customs and Border Protection announced recently it is extending until March 21 ongoing closures of crossings on the United States’ borders with Mexico and Canada.
The partial closures began last March 21 as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 across the borders.
In a Twitter announcement, Troy Miller, a senior official acting as CBP, said the closures were being extended in cooperation with the Mexican and Canadian governments.
“CBP is working closely with Mexico and Canada to keep open essential visits and commerce at the same time that we protect our citizens from the virus.”
The San Luis port remains open to U.S. citizen returning from visits to Mexican and to people from Mexico who cross the border to work or for other reasons considered essential.
In a message of its own on social media, Mexico’s Foreign Relations Ministry said the decision to extend port closures another month was prompted by continuing high COVID-19 infection rates in various states in Mexico.
Mexico does not prohibit Americans from going south of the border to vacation or shop, although the port of entry in San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., across from San Luis, is open fewer hours of the day amid the pandemic.
The partial closure has critics among elected officials in the
Yuma area, among them Yuma County Supervisors Chairman Tony Reyes and San Luis Mayor Gerardo Sanchez.
Reyes says the policy has had no effect in stopping COVID-19 because it prevents only one group of people from crossing the border – Mexican citizens who want to shop or dine in this country.
Conversely, he said, merchants in San Luis, Ariz., and elsewhere on this side of the border are prevented from doing business with Mexican consumers who represent much or most of their clientele.
“Whoever used to come across the border to shop isn’t coming any more,” he said. “All we’re doing is create an undue hardship on border merchants.”
Closing the border to non-essential visits has the effect of “trying to stop the tide with a bucket,” said Reyes, whose district includes San Luis.
“This policy stops the flow of people; it doesn’t stop the virus. What you want is for both sides of the border to work on the problem at the same time.”