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Lane Closures at US - MEX Border


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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-mexico/us-closes-lanes-adds-checks-at-mexico-border-to-contain-coronavirus-idUSKBN25H2RY

From Aug. 21, 2020

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Friday closed lanes at select ports of entry at the border with Mexico and will conduct more secondary checks to limit non-essential travel and the spread of coronavirus, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official said.

Non-essential travel has been restricted at the border since March, but U.S. citizens and permanent residents can still enter the United States from Mexico. The new measures are aimed at those travelers, the CBP official said.

“We need people to think twice about non-essential travel and to ask themselves if the travel is worth risking their lives and the lives of others,” El Paso CBP spokesman Roger Maier said in a written statement.

CBP said it would take steps to reduce non-essential travel at more than a dozen border crossings in Texas, Arizona and California. The wait times for passenger vehicles at those ports of entry on Friday evening ranged from no wait to several hours.

The Trump administration had been considering a measure to block U.S. citizens and residents from returning home if they were suspected of being infected with the coronavirus, Reuters reported this month. The plan was blasted by some hospitals, U.S. expats and immigrant advocacy groups.

Senior White House officials have decided against the proposal, according to two officials familiar with the deliberations, although it remains unclear if it could be resurrected.

 

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On 8/23/2020 at 9:52 AM, Kiko said:

I called the consulate a month ago for information if I could pass by land without a passport, they gave me the number of CBP in Laredo.  I then called there twice and got two different answers from two different CBP.  YMMV

Under an international law known as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) , you need to have a valid passport whenever you cross the US border.

Exceptions:

(If you’re crossing into the USA from the Mexican or Canadian border by land or sea, you could also use a passport card, Enhanced Driver’s License, or Trusted Traveler Card.) 

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On 8/23/2020 at 7:50 AM, tomgates said:

Accurate info here:  mx.usembassy.gov

your source for factual, real time information without propaganda.

patti

 

1 hour ago, Mainecoons said:

it took us two hours to cross at Santa Teresa yesterday around mid day.  Problem was simply not enough lanes open.  Once we got to the booth, 2 minutes, no temperature checks, no questions about CV, nada.

 

 

55 minutes ago, Mostlylost said:

Not a good time to cross

At 3pm Laredo was showing:

Bridge I Sentri only  2 lanes 10 minutes   

Bridge II 4 lanes open 3 hour wait   

Columbia 2 General 45 minutes  and 1 Sentri 10 minutes

 

 

Gee, maybe it wasn't "propaganda."  As the original story states, the US is CLOSING lanes.  

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There's more to the story  Before we got there we ran into a bloqueo over the water rights fight on the main road into Chihuahua.  They were back up like 5 miles in either direction.  As we were at an exit, I boondockedit along side the road to the exit and got off and was sitting there working the gps trying to find a way around.  A Mexican couple in a pick up pulled up along side and said they knew what was going on and how to get around it.  So we followed them cross country, sometimes on the berm of an irrigation canal (this is why I will only own 4 wheel drive sport utes in Mexico) until we emerged at the site of the bloqueo.  The couple then conversed with another guy in a pickup and he led us down village streets and back onto the highway above the bloqueo.  

Of course no one would take anything for their help other than heart felt thanks and big smiles and we went on our way marveling at this great Mexican experience.  It put us back about an hour and that put us smack in the middle of the border slowdown.  Still we were able to get across early enough to pick up our RV, move to our RV park "base camp" and go get some Freddy's burgers.  

All in all it was a great reminder of what makes living in Mexico special.  :D 

 

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