Two railroad crossings are temporarily closed in Texas. Will there be a significant impact on trade?
The federal government has closed railroad crossings in two Texas border towns, raising concerns about the potential impact on cross-border trade
McALLEN, Texas — The federal government has closed railroad crossings in two Texas border towns, raising concerns about the potential impact on cross-border trade and American consumers.
Customs and Border Protection announced Sunday that it would temporarily stop railroad operations in Eagle Pass and El Paso starting Monday. It did not say how long rail operations would be paused.
The railroads and politicians have decried the move that closes two of the six available railroad systems between Mexico and the U.S.
“This train doesn’t just stop at Eagle Pass. This train doesn’t just impact Texas," Rep. Tony Gonzalez, a Republican congressman who represents the affected region, said Tuesday during a news conference. «This train impacts all of America, goods that are going all over America.»
CBP reported as many as 10,000 people entering the country illegally every day through the southwest border this month. Closing the railroad would free up customs officers to assist overwhelmed U.S. Border Patrol agents who need to take migrants into custody.
Thousands of asylum-seekers who have crossed are sleeping outside along the border as they wait for federal agents to process them. Most are released with notices to appear in immigration courts, which are backlogged with more than 3 million cases.
Operations were changed for similar reasons when CBP closed a port of entry in Lukeville, Arizona, a pedestrian crosswalk in San Diego, and an international bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Union Pacific and BNSF are the two railroads directly affected by the rail closures in Texas. Between them,
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