Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A coalition of Texas mayors, city council members, county judges, county executives, businesses, corporations, and community leaders today said Gov. Greg Abbott’s unprecedented expansion of “Operation Lone Star” is causing major disruptions to multiple industries and generating additional burdens on the supply chain to Texas businesses.
Last week, Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to begin conducting safety inspections of commercial vehicles as they cross international ports of entry into Texas. He announced this new policy to protest the reinstatement of migrants’ ability to apply for asylum status under the federal Refugee Act.
“The delays caused by the expansion of inspections at land ports of entry is now a contributor to the supply chain crisis that we are seeing nationwide,” Cameron County Judge and Texas Border Coalition (TBC) Chairman Eddie Treviño, Jr., and TBC Vice Chairman C. LeRoy Cavazos-Reyna wrote in a letter to Abbott. “This measure is hurting Texans and all of those whose business depends on the trade along the border with Mexico.”
Treviño and Cavazos-Reyna noted that more than $80.4 billion in trade moved through this regional system in 2021 alone, of which 87 percent is transported by commercial trucks. These delays will lead to a grave loss of produce, worsen Texas’ supply chain challenges, and increase costs for consumers locally and nationally. Furthermore, it will cause a substantial negative impact to Texas jobs, numerous local and state economies, along with large sums of lost revenue at the land ports of entry in border communities.
TBC suggests a better approach would be to work in partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to assist in the inspections at the land ports.
Following is a copy of the TBC letter in its entirety:
April 13, 2022
The Honorable Greg Abbott
Governor of Texas
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711
In re: Disruptions to international trade caused by DPS truck inspections at border
Dear Governor Abbott,
On behalf of the Texas Border Coalition, we write to express our deep concerns over the recent unprecedented expansion of Operation Lone Star requiring the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to conduct unnecessary inspections for every commercial vehicle at certain land ports of entry. This rule has disrupted thousands of small businesses that operate on the Texas-Mexico border and has caused a drop in commercial traffic by as much as 60 percent. Hispanic businesses on the U.S.-Mexico border depend on commercial circularity to operate, provide jobs in border communities, and produce products that are essential for all Texans alike.
The Texas Border Coalition (TBC) acts as the collective voice of border communities on issues that affect Texas-Mexico border region’s quality of life, commerce, and public policy. The TBC is comprised of mayors, city council members, county judges, county executives, businesses, corporations, and community leaders. Collectively, we represent more than 2.5 million people who reside along the more than 1,250 miles of the Texas-Mexico border, from Brownsville to El Paso, Texas. We believe in the economic vibrancy of our border region, but its potential to revitalize is dependent on evolving commercial circularity.
The delays caused by the expansion of inspections at land ports of entry is now a contributor to the supply chain crisis that we are seeing nationwide. This measure is hurting Texans and all of those whose business depends on trade along the border with Mexico. Ports of entry along the border, from Brownsville to El Paso, have already experienced significant delays, with border crossing times that have substantially increased from minutes to several hours.
These inspections have reportedly caused 10-to-20-hour delays and effectively halted traffic at land ports of entry such as the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, the number one conduit for fresh produce imports to the United States. El Paso’s Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge ranks third in cargo crossings, making it a major player in the movement of people and goods across our southern border.
More than $80.4 billion in trade moved through this regional system in 2021 alone, of which 87 percent is transported by commercial trucks. The delays caused by your new inspections will lead to a grave loss of produce, worsen our supply chain challenges, and increase costs for consumers locally and nationally. Furthermore, it will cause a substantial negative impact to Texas jobs and numerous local and state economies, along with large sums of lost revenue at our land ports of entry in border communities.
Trade with Mexico is one of the most important economic drivers for Texas, generating more than $650 billion in economic activity in 2021. That is why any type of obstacle to trade is harmful for the state and the lives of the people in it. Traffic congestion at land ports of entry causes delays that have cost the state more than $32 billion in only the last three years. The ever-growing trade relationship with our neighbors must be met with efficiency in order to foster its growth. An international border that is more efficient but also safer is beneficial to Texas’ competitiveness and enhances the state’s overall economic vitality.
We share your concerns regarding criminal activity along our border and recognize border security as an essential part of trade circularity. However, we believe that there are more effective security measures that can be taken with the use of modern technology. We should invest in better technology along our southern border that aims to modernize land ports of entry, expedite trade, and help federal agents identify the real threats to our national security.
We welcome dialogue and collaborative efforts with and between our local, state and federal agencies to help find an immediate solution to this issue which is causing major disruptions to multiple industries and generating additional burdens on our supply chain for Texas businesses.
Thank you in advance for your consideration of this important request. We look forward to a positive response on this matter, which has a severe economic impact on many communities in the U.S.-Mexico border region. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any of our border leaders on this critical issue.
Sincerely,
The Honorable Eddie Treviño Jr.
Chairman, Texas Border Coalition
County Judge, Cameron County, Texas
C. LeRoy Cavazos-Reyna
Vice-Chairman, Texas Border Coalition
CC: The Honorable John B. Scott, Secretary of State, Texas
Texas Trade Advisory Committee Members
Texas Congressional Delegation Members
Mexican-American Legislative Caucus Members
