The Texas Association of Business is asking for two rail bridges across the Rio Grande to be reopened. Customs and Border Protection shut down crossings in Eagle Pass and El Paso Monday morning.
"CBP is continuing to surge all available resources to safely process migrants in response to increased levels of migrant encounters at the Southwest Border, fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals," the agency wrote in a statement earlier this week.
CBP has also closed a crossing for cars in Eagle Pass as well as ports of entry in Lukeville, AZ and San Diego, CA. The agency did not say how long the ports might be closed, describing this as an "evolving situation."
The Texas Association of Business says the rail bridges should reopen. Chief Executive Glenn Hamer sent a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security and Texas Congressional delegation saying the closure of the rail bridges is hurting the economy.
"This is a shortsighted, half-baked decision that will not make a dent in illegal migration but will cause economic harm to everyday Americans. On behalf of the business community, TAB urges CBP to reopen railway crossing operations at El Paso and Eagle Pass to resume the flow of legal, everyday goods to American citizens," Hamer wrote in a statement.
The letter says the bridges in Eagle Pass and El Paso are the second and third busiest rail gateways on the border. Hamer says the bridges carry 10,000 rail cars every day and $33.95 billion in trade. He says 35.8% of cross-border rail traffic goes through those two ports.
"A wide diversity of industries such as food/beverage (beer), finished vehicles and auto parts, agriculture, grain, consumer goods, and other industrial products will be heavily impacted," Hamer writes in the letter. "The decision to completely stop rail operations in Eagle Pass and El Paso will have a devastating chain reaction that can in turn shut down operations in plants and fabs all over the United States."
Hamer writes he understands the importance of a secure border. He says he supports work to strengthen security, but that process should not stop trade from flowing. His letter says the closures would lead to an increase in prices "as items become scarce due to this hit in the North American supply chain."
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