Two Valley U.S. congressmen and an organization representing border mayors and county judges are speaking out against the enhanced safety inspections being conducted in Brownsville.

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez

Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (D-34) said he sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott regarding the locations of the inspections that are being done at the Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates and the Free Trade International Bridge at Los Indios.

“He's impeding commerce, he's slowing down business and trade, and at the end of the day, it hurts the American people and it hurts people here in Texas,” Gonzalez told Channel 5 News. “If he has an issue with Tamaulipas, he ought to call the governor of Tamaulipas and discuss it. But clearly, it's targeted to people here in the Rio Grande Valley, and it’s hurting farmers."

READ THE FULL LETTER HERE

Rep. Henry Cuellar

In a series of tweets, Rep. Henry Cuellar called the inspections “unnecessary and excessive.”

Unnecessary and excessive inspections are a waste of time and money. The Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) inspections at the border are purely mechanical (brakes, windshield wipers) and do not include cargo inspections, which are reserved for @CBP.

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— Rep. Henry Cuellar (@RepCuellar) May 4, 2023

Texas Border Coalition 

The Texas Border Coalition also condemned the inspections.

In a letter to Gov. Abbott,  TBC Chairman David Stout said trade with Mexico is one of the most important economic drivers for Texas that generated more than $650 billion in economic activity in 2021. 

Stout added that any type of obstacle to trade is harmful for the state and the lives of the people in it.

Read the full statement below:

"Dear Governor Abbott,

On behalf of the Texas Border Coalition, I write to reiterate our deep concern over the unnecessary inspections that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is conducting on every commercial vehicle crossing Veterans and Los Indios International Bridges in Cameron County through May 7, 2023. These inspections, which are duplicative, costly and result in massive wait times of 8 to 10 hours in some cases, threaten to harm those whose business depends on trade with Mexico.

The Texas Border Coalition (TBC) acts as the collective voice of border communities on issues that affect Texas-Mexico border region’s quality of life, commerce, and public policy. TBC is comprised of mayors, city council members, county judges, county executives, businesses, corporations, and community leaders. Collectively, we represent more than 2.8 million people who reside along the more than 1,250 miles of the Texas-Mexico border, from Brownsville to El Paso, Texas. We believe in the economic vibrancy of our border region, but its potential to revitalize is dependent on evolving commercial circularity.

Trade with Mexico is one of the most important economic drivers for Texas, generating more than $650 billion in economic activity in 2021. That is why any type of obstacle to trade is harmful for the state and the lives of the people in it. The ever-growing trade relationship with our neighbors must be met with efficiency to foster its growth. An international border that is more efficient but also safer is beneficial to Texas’ competitiveness and enhances the state’s overall economic vitality.

By some estimates, Texas lost more than $470 million a day in cross-border trade when DPS increased inspections of commercial vehicles at the border in April 2022. That equates to a loss of more than $4.2 billion in goods and services and the equivalent of 36,000 jobs.

Texas DPS’ own 2023 Motor Vehicle Stop Data Report indicates the Texas-Mexico border region is disproportional impacted by motor vehicle stops compared to other regions of the state. This alone impacts the flow of trade.

We share your concerns regarding criminal activity along the border and recognize border management, with security as a critical component, as an essential part of trade circularity. However, we believe that there are more effective security measures that can be taken with the use of modern technology. We should invest in better technology along our southern border that aims to modernize land ports of entry, expedite trade, and help federal agents identify the real threats to our national security.

We welcome dialogue and collaborative efforts with and between our local, state, and federal agencies to help find an immediate solution to this issue which is causing major disruptions to multiple industries.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of this important request. We look forward to a positive response on this matter, which has a severe economic impact on many communities in the U.S.-Mexico border region. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any of our border leaders on this critical issue.”