This Monday, February 22, the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce issued a statement informing that it is being ignored and discriminated against due to the restrictions that are maintained at the border crossing between Mexico and the United States because of the measures taken to contain the coronavirus.

This association has been fighting for months for the border to be reopened, since for this border section there can be no real economic recovery if the border with Mexico is not opened. The situation is critical and has caused several local businesses to close or suffer great losses.

That is why, on this occasion, different organizations joined forces to launch a petition to the Biden/Harris administration. Among those involved are the Chambers of Commerce of Tucson, Arizona, Laredo; Texas, Otay Mesa; California, Del Rio; Texas, Brawley; also in California and Texas, McAllen, San Benito County and El Paso.

Among the points highlighted in the petition are the following:

In San Ysidro sales have plummeted, out of $895 million dollars of expected sales only $225 million dollars were accumulated in 2020. They stress that the restrictions are arbitrary because border crossings have no impact on the spread of the coronavirus.

They argue this because positive infection rates have never been higher at the border crossing than in the rest of South San Diego County. They report that of those who have tested positive in the area, only 16% have had Mexico as their residence.

Regional businesses are doing well because their workforce continues to cross the border. The communities are those that depend, economically, socially and yes, in terms of health, on the daily life and essential travel of tourist visa holders.

Do you think the pressure exerted by the Chambers of Commerce will help open the border on March 21? Leave your comments below.

Border News: Third week of February 2021