EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Two influential El Paso elected officials say they are worried about a pair of White House initiatives that could torpedo the regional trade economy.
One is funding for the $650 million modernization of the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) port of entry. The port is due for major improvements that could speed up cross-border traffic and result in less pollution.
The other is the Feb. 1 threat of tariffs on Mexican exports should that country fail to meet President Donald Trump’s expectations to curb illegal immigration to the United States.
On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s sudden pause on federal grants linked to diversity programs, Biden administration environmental programs Trump refers to as the “Green New Deal,” and funding to nongovernmental organizations.
“I am very concerned. Part of the BOTA funding was to reduce pollution. That is now considered a Green New Deal issue. Addressing environmental concerns is considered a negative by the administration,” U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, said on Tuesday. “That port of entry is a lifeline for people on both sides of the border. We are keeping a close tab on that.”
El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said his concern stems from the project being still under development.
“It’s a discretionary fund; it’s not a done deal. So, we don’t want to be in a situation where they can use it (the Green New Deal) as an excuse to preclude that. BOTA needs to be modernized,” he said. “It’s something we have been waiting for a long time. A tremendous amount of work went into it to be pulled back now. That would really hurt our progress and our trade.”
Earlier, El Paso trade and government officials expressed dismay and worry at Trump’s informal Feb. 1 deadline for Mexico to reassure him it will stem the flow of migrants to the U.S. border.
The Mexican border since last May has been keeping migrants from the dangerous practice of riding atop cargo trains for hundreds of miles to border cities like Juarez and Nuevo Laredo.
That’s apparently not enough for Trump, who after winning the Nov. 4 election restated his intent to impose up to a 25% tariff on Mexican exports to the U.S.
That will drive inflation up in the United States because Mexico is America’s top trading partner and most goods exported to the U.S. help keep prices down because of low production costs, local officials said.
“Next week that, too, may send consumer prices through the roof. We may see a community that is going to struggle” economically, Escobar said. “We are hoping to prevent all of this. I have a meeting with House Democratic colleagues tomorrow, and we are thinking through every strategy possible to prevent this, but we are in the minority.”
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