December 08, 2023

Regional Leaders Urge Against Redirecting Personnel Away from San Diego’s Ports of Entry

Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51) joined Mayor Todd Gloria today in issuing the following statements in response to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s planned temporarily closure of the PedWest border crossing at the San Ysidro Port of Entry: 

“Closing PedWest right before the holiday season will severely increase border wait times and hurt our local businesses and regional economy,” said Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51). “That’s why I urge Secretary Mayorkas to reverse this short-sighted decision. Instead, we should put our energy toward passing President Biden’s supplemental funding request to keep us safe and allow the cross-border travel of people and goods that our economy relies on.”

“I spoke with Secretary Mayorkas today and urged him to reconsider diverting personnel away from the nation’s busiest border crossing, which will suspend operations at one of San Diego’s port of entries,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said. “Reducing staffing levels during the busiest time of the year will deal an enormous blow to San Diego’s economy and upend the holiday season for families who celebrate together on both sides of the border. This underscores the urgency of passing President Biden’s supplemental funding request, which will add resources to keep our border secure while enabling the efficient cross-border flow of goods and people that integral to our region’s commerce and culture.” 

 

PedWest plays a key role in both the regional economy and the efficient flow of travelers in our binational region,” said Rep. Scott Peters (CA-50). “Indefinitely closing PedWest as we head into the holidays is not only a significant blow to local businesses, but also to families who plan to spend the season on both sides of the border. While we understand that CBP’s resources are stretched thin, there must be better alternatives for shifting resources that shutting down a large part of the busiest border crossing on the planet. This closure and the shortage of CBP staff is yet another reason why passing President Biden’s supplemental funding request is so urgent.” 

 

“I urgently call upon DHS Secretary Mayorkas to rescind CBP’s plan to pull agents from the busiest land port of entry in the Western Hemisphere,” said Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-52). “The San Ysidro Port of Entry is the most utilized gateway into the United States, and Mayorkas should prioritize it as such. Redirecting agents away from our region will increase wait times during the busiest season of the year and closing PedWest is a gut punch to the residents and businesses that just celebrated its reopening three weeks ago. The closure of PedWest, and the expected increase in wait times, will affect families wishing to visit loved ones during the holidays and impact the regional economy. This decision must be reversed immediately. I urge Secretary Mayorkas to prioritize our region and keep our CBP personnel here in San Diego.” 

 

“It is clear our border needs adequate resources and additional staff. Diverting personnel away from PedWest will only add to the challenges our communities are already facing. I strongly urge Secretary Mayorkas to reconsider this decision and maintain personnel at PedWest to ensure orderly processing,” said Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49). “To prevent staff shortages and further difficulties at PedWest and other entry points, Republicans must avoid partisan political games and pass President Biden’s supplemental funding request to provide the necessary resources to CBP, our local partners, and law enforcement.” 

###