Nebraska Panhandle News

U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and seven fellow Republican senators are calling on the Biden administration to re-open railway commerce at the southern border, which was recently suspended in order to process migrants illegally crossing into the United States. The closure of the railways has sparked concerns among the senators about the impact on American consumers and businesses.

Senator Ricketts criticized President Biden for failing to address the border crisis, stating, "This is happening because President Biden won’t do what it takes to get the border crisis under control." He added, "It’s unacceptable that American consumers and businesses will pay the price for Biden’s incompetence."

The letter, signed by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), expresses serious concern regarding the Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) decision to suspend international railway crossings and rail operations in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas. The senators argue that without effective policies to address the increasing flow of illegal immigration, the nation's security and economy will continue to suffer.

The senators highlight the severity of the border crisis, stating, "We are living in the worst border crisis on record." They point out that since President Biden took office, there have been over 6.6 million encounters at the southern border, with an additional 1.8 million "gotaways" who were detected but not apprehended. The CBP reported 12,000 migrant encounters on December 5, 2023, the highest single-day total ever recorded.

The closure of rail services and international crossings at Eagle Pass and El Paso directly impacts the ability of carriers to transport goods across the North American rail network. These ports of entry are vital for trade between the United States and Mexico, with a total of $33.95 billion or 35.8% of all cross-border rail traffic passing through them in the last year. The closure affects the transportation of products such as grains, consumer goods, automobiles and auto parts, and chemicals. In 2021, the U.S. exported over $2.6 billion of soybeans and over $4.7 billion of corn to Mexico.

The senators emphasize that the crisis at the southern border requires smarter and effective policies rather than simply redirecting CBP personnel. They urge Secretary Mayorkas to reopen the rail ports of entry at Eagle Pass and El Paso and to engage with Congress in enacting real policy change to halt the flow of illegal migration.

The letter concludes by stating, "Only smarter and effective policies will guide us out of it and without a real plan, this Administration will hardly address the substantial challenges that currently exist." The senators are calling for urgent action to address the humanitarian, security, and economic crisis at the southern border.

The Biden administration has yet to respond to the letter from Senator Ricketts and his colleagues.

To learn more, click on this link: https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/press-releases/ricketts-7-gop-senators-slam-mayorkas-for-suspending-rail-commerce-at-border-to-process-more-migrants