SANTA TERESA, N.M. (Border Report) – When Texas truck inspections slowed traffic to a crawl at El Paso’s commercial ports of entry in April 2022 and September 2023, the Santa Teresa, New Mexico, border crossing picked up the slack.
According to the Chihuahua Bridge Trust, fewer than 800 cargo trucks crossed into the U.S. from Mexico through the Ysleta port of entry and only 220 through Tornillo, Texas, during the Texas “enhanced” inspections. That compares to the nearly 1,500 clearing Santa Teresa – which sits on a state that showed no interest in following Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s crackdown in the middle of a particularly substantial migrant surge from Mexico.
“We got a significant amount of traffic that came through Santa Teresa, and we were able to handle it. I mean, the lines naturally get a little longer and the wait times also get a little longer, but we can handle it,” said Jerry Pacheco, president and CEO of the Santa Teresa-based Border Industrial Association.
After federal officials on Friday announced plans to permanently shut down truck traffic at the Bridge of the Americas in South-Central El Paso, Pacheco again sees an opportunity for the Santa Teresa crossing to play a bigger role in the region’s imports and exports to Mexico.
More so since Santa Teresa is in line for a major expansion. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection feasibility study earlier this year recommended adding 11 incoming commercial truck lanes to the existing three at the New Mexico land port. Another four northbound passenger lanes are to be added, and Mexico appears willing to accommodate another southbound truck lane. The Santa Teresa port is about 18 miles west of El Paso.
Pacheco said he hopes the expanded port is ready to go by the time Bridge of the Americas truck closure becomes permanent.
“We hope it does coincide. We got the feasibility study done, which is the first step. The next step is to get on the priority list for funding that includes design and environmental monies. That is about the time we expect to be funded for the port expansion,” he said. “That would be perfect to be able to get our port going at a higher volume so we can pick up some of that traffic that is going through BOTA.”
Both Democratic U.S. senators from New Mexico, Ben Ray Lujan and Martin Heinrich, and U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-New Mexico, in May sent a letter to CBP and the General Services Administration endorsing the expansion.
“Congress has a strong interest in enabling Santa Teresa to play the role of a keystone port along our southern border, as it is already a critical facilitator of international trade with our nation’s largest trading partner,” the lawmakers said.
Mexican business leaders on Friday expressed concerns about the closing of BOTA to commercial traffic. They said more crossings – not fewer – are needed, and they must be properly staffed.
Pacheco said he concurs that the Santa Teresa expansion must be accompanied by additional CBP staffing to capture more truck traffic to and from Mexico.
“The feasibility study was exciting, but I told GSA and all the other (government) parties involved, ‘Hey, it doesn’t matter if you put more infrastructure if you don’t put the personnel to match that.’ We may have a situation like in Columbus (N.M.) They got a modern, beautiful $84 million port of entry a few years back. They have four northbound lanes for private vehicles. But if you go there, most times they only have one lane staffed,” Pacheco said.
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