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Officials react to border restrictions being lifted next month

2 years 5 months 2 weeks ago Wednesday, October 13 2021 Oct 13, 2021 October 13, 2021 6:51 PM October 13, 2021 in News - Local

For the first time since last March, non-essential travel across land ports of entry will continue. This will only be for those who are fully vaccinated, and must show proof of vaccination.

Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. said this announcement is a positive first step in re-establishing cross border trade. 

"Those of us here in the Valley and the entire border area, we're reliant on that cross border trade,” Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. said. “We want our friends from Mexico to continue to come over here and visit and spend their money and travel." 

Officials from multiple counties in the Valley worked with Mexican authorities to vaccinate maquiladora workers in an effort to boost vaccination rates for our neighbors. 

U.S. officials haven't said which day in November land ports of entry will re-open.

However, Mexico's president - Andrés Manuel López Obrador - said "We're now going to have normalcy in our northern border starting November 1."

Official statements from RGV officials:

Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez:

“This is welcome news. I have long said our region’s path to economic recovery from the setback of the pandemic is with the help of our neighbors in Mexico. Past economic data shows that Mexican travelers in our region account for a large percentage of our consumer sales. We need to reclaim that level of economic activity to emerge from the pandemic in a strong economic position.”

Congressman Vicente Gonzalez:

"Yesterday’s announcement that the U.S. will allow fully vaccinated, non-essential travelers to enter through land ports of entry is welcome news for families and businesses in South Texas. I am pleased to see that the Biden Administration heeded our community’s calls to safely resume cross-border travel. This is an important and long-overdue step to getting our economy back on track.”

Congressman Henry Cuellar:

“Finally! Finally! Those are the first words that come to my mind. I have been fighting for this with two administrations and now we can finally say that our borders are open to fully vaccinated non-essential travelers. The decision could not come at a better time as we get ready for the holiday shopping season, and I cannot stress enough what that means for our small businesses along the border. We have to understand that if this decision would have been prolonged any further, many of these businesses would have ceased to exist forever, many of them already have,” said Congressman Cuellar. “There are individuals that have not seen their loved ones in almost 2 years because of the travel restrictions, now they will be able to do that next month, and I share their excitement. The next step is to ensure that all travel through our border is done in the safest, most responsible way possible. I will continue to work with Washington and local authorities to ensure that we implement the best available procedures. Furthermore, I want to encourage all essential travelers that are not fully vaccinated, to do so now, do not wait until January and risk the possibility of not being able to come in.”

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