In a radical shift in the daily dynamics of the border, international crossings into El Paso experienced an unusual and sudden collapse in wait times, leaving the bridges practically empty compared with previous days, when travelers typically had to endure lines ranging from one to as much as two and a half hours to cross.
This phenomenon has caught thousands of people who travel daily between the two cities by surprise. The most drastic change was observed at the Puente Libre (Córdova-Américas), where witnesses confirmed that there was not a single vehicle in the lines and that all lanes were completely empty, an extremely unusual occurrence during the busiest hours at this crossing.
Likewise, reports from the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) showed minimal waiting times. At 2:00 p.m. this Wednesday, the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) reported only 10 minutes of delay for both the General line and the Ready lane, while the Paso del Norte (PDN) crossing recorded 15 minutes in General and just 10 minutes in the Ready lane.
In the Zaragoza-Ysleta area, wait times remained at just 25 minutes for Ready lanes, while the General area was not operating at that time.
According to accounts from travelers themselves, this unusual lack of traffic is not due to lower actual travel demand, but rather to widespread concern among people in the region regarding the new strict inspections.
The most recent concern involves the alleged requirement to present travelers’ children’s visas, which has intensified alarm among border families, prompting people to refrain from crossing for fear of facing complications with immigration authorities.
Source: diario
