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Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03) led a bipartisan group of members of the U.S.-Mexico Border Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to reassess the stringent and indeterminate closures and travel restrictions at land ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border.

In the letter, the Members commend President Biden’s work and commitment to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine distribution across the United States and the aboard and express their concerns about the closures and travel restrictions that remain in effect since March 21, 2020. 

“Our communities represent key arteries for our national economy through the land ports of entry connecting us with our Mexican sister cities. These ports process hundreds of billions of dollars in trade and commerce annually. They also act as vital connectors that allow regional residents to visit family, go to school, shop, and do much more in each other’s cities,” the lawmakers wrote. 

The lawmakers continued, “The health and safety of these communities, whether within or beyond the border, are of utmost importance to us. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updates their guidance to support increased allowable activities, we now believe it is appropriate for the stringent restrictions to be reassessed to determine if the closures should be lifted.”

“We urge the Administration to work with border communities, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Health and Human Services on identifying the vaccination rate in American communities that would result in the easing of travel restrictions at our land ports and the re-opening of the ports to our neighbors on the other side of the U.S-Mexico border.”

The lawmakers concluded the letter by sharing with President Biden their strong belief that as communities in many states gradually return to normalcy, the same must occur to border cities whose cultural and economic lifeline is closely tied to land ports of entry, and encouraging him to further bolster the health of border communities by sharing additional COVID-19 vaccines with Mexico. 

Joining the lawmakers leading the letter are members of the U.S.-Mexico Border Congressional Delegation: Representatives Juan Vargas (CA-51), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-02), Tony Gonzales (TX-23), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), and Filemon Vela (TX-34).

You can find the full text of the letter here.