EL PASO, TX (KFOX14/CBS4) — The large number of migrants handing themselves in at the border disrupts operations at multiple ports of entry and impacts multiple trucking companies.
All cargo operations on the Bridge of the Americas have been suspended until further notice as a processing center is being built there to handle the influx of migrants.
A local trucking company: The cessation of freight operations on the Bridge of the Americas will impact the economy and the entire industry.
Mesilla Valley Transport President and CEO Royal Jones said the suspension was causing significant disruption to the economy.
“Not just me, but all the other people in El Paso, all the other trucking companies are expecting all these loads and I don’t know if maybe we’re going to get half of it,” Jones said.
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“At MVT, we get about 120 trucks a day across the border, or Mexican truckers bring the loads to us, which we then distribute across the US,” Jones said.
Border Patrol officials have said thousands of migrants have surrendered at the border wall in recent weeks.
Anthony Good, El Paso Border Protection sector chief, said there have been an average of 1,470 encounters with migrants per day this week.
“It’s really quite a disruption to everyone, my truck drivers, my dispatchers, but I have trucks in El Paso waiting for loads and of course they plan to go over the weekend and if the loads don’t come, come.” the trucks are sitting, the drivers are sitting and everyone’s pissed off,” Jones said.
On a typical Friday, Mesilla Valley Transportation sees about 40 Mexican truckers. This Friday they received only 19.
Truck drivers who spoke to CBS4 said they expect traffic to get worse.
Truck drivers now have to use other bridges to cross them, such as Ysleta port of entry or Santa Teresa port of entry.
“Today they sent us through Santa Teresa and it took us about two hours to cross the road, which was usually very empty before,” said Adolfo Corral, a truck driver.
“The queue is very long. Took me about 5 or 6 hours in line. It’s definitely affecting the traffic and I think the traffic will get worse later on,” said Jonathan Peinado, another truck driver.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said people should expect longer waits in the cargo area of the Ysleta port of entry.
CBP said they are diverting CBP officials from the Ysleta port of entry to help process the migrants at the Bridge of the Americas.
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CBP officials said they don’t know when the suspension will be lifted.
Visit the CBP website to see wait times at ports of entry.
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