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Congresswoman Escobar Statement on El Paso Chamber of Commerce's Bridge of the Americas Report

El Paso, TX, September 11, 2026 | Abbey Thompson (202-225-4831)

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released the following statement in response to the El Paso Chamber of Commerce's Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) Land Port of Entry Modernization Project Report:

"While I appreciate the time, money and effort the Chamber has put into this study, it comes nearly two years after the robust public engagement period concluded. This period included public meetings hosted by the General Services Administration (GSA) and my office with support from the El Paso City Council and the El Paso County Commissioners Court, and participation and input from 12,000 El Pasoans.

"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agencies which ultimately made the decision to remove commercial traffic, made clear to the Chamber and to me that the decision is final and would not be reversed  — even after the Chamber's visit with them in Washington earlier this year when they flew to D.C. to lobby against the project.

"At this point, the decision is so far advanced that GSA is well into the bidding process, with the project expected to be awarded in the next several months. I have repeatedly urged the Chamber to join with those of us working to ensure our other land ports of entry are ready for the shift in traffic, and use their time, resources and support to help create the private-public partnerships necessary to create more innovative, efficient crossings.

"El Paso can and should lead the nation in creating more efficient, safe and advanced cross-border commercial opportunities – clearly our economy depends on that. We can also learn from other communities and how they’ve benefited from specializing their land ports of entry, instead of fighting decisions that have already been finalized and made with El Pasoans in mind, especially those living near BOTA. My hope is that this report inspires the Chamber to utilize their leadership to help plan for the future.”
Below is a timeline of Congresswoman Escobar's involvement with the BOTA Land Port of Entry Modernization Project:
  • August 2022 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted a meeting with GSA to kick off stakeholder engagement for the BOTA modernization. Local government, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), Department of State, HOME, neighborhood associations near the bridge and other stakeholders attended to learn about the process. GSA committed to robust community engagement throughout the design concept and environmental impact process. 
  • April 7, 2023 - Congresswoman Escobar met with GSA to provide feedback on concerns and issues shared with her by El Paso stakeholders.
  • July 5, 2023 - Congresswoman Escobar met with members of the San Xavier, Chamizal, and Washington-Delta neighborhood associations regarding their experiences with past construction projects impacting their communities and their concerns about the BOTA modernization project.  
  • July 19, 2023 - Congresswoman Escobar sent a letter to GSA requesting a Health Impact Assessment to be included as part of the Environmental Impact Survey process.
  • October 19, 2023 - Congresswoman Escobar announced a series of listening sessions on BOTA with various stakeholders and sent out an email survey asking constituents their opinion on commercial traffic at BOTA.
  • October 27, 2023 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted a convening of governmental stakeholders- United States federally, Texas state, local and Ciudad Juarez and State ofChihuahua attending.
  • November 13, 2023 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted a virtual town hall with a legislative update, including an update on the BOTA LPOE modernization project, with over 2,000 constituents in attendance.
  • November 17, 2023 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted a listening session with US and Mexico industry leaders (maquilas, custom brokers, trucking companies, etc).
  • January 2024 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted a listening session at the Chamizal Recreational Center with GSA, IBWC, and CBP leadership to hear from the community members including Familias Unidas, San Xavier and Washington-Delta Neighborhood Associations.
  • May 2024 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted a meeting with GSA, CBP, City and County to discuss BOTA and what can be done for City and County to prepare for additional traffic at other ports of entry.
  • July 2024 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted an update meeting with local and federal governmental stakeholders for BOTA, including Juarez Mayor and ANAM Director.

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