FILE – In this Nov. 21, 2018 file photo, United States Border Patrol agents stand by a vehicle near one of the border walls separating Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 12:50 PM PT – Tuesday, August 25, 2020
The U.S. is cracking down on cross-border travel amid concerns over the coronavirus.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) implemented restrictions back in March, but a recent survey by the agency found the restrictions were not being fully enforced. According to CBP, about 60% of people who crossed recently have done so for non-essential reasons.
The agency has responded by implementing new measures, which officials hope will curb travel between the U.S. and Mexico. Some of the changes included reducing open border lanes and conducting secondary inspections of travelers deemed to be non-essential.
TRAVEL ALERT: The temporary restriction on non-essential travel at US land border ports of entry remains in effect. Essential travel and trade continue unimpeded. Essential travel includes, but is not limited to: pic.twitter.com/EKrlaX7knF
— CBP (@CBP) August 23, 2020
Those visitors will then be provided with literature on the dangers of contracting COVID-19.
Entry into the U.S. has also been limited to citizens and legal residents only. The initiative has created long lines at the border, with wait times exceeding 11 hours.
These changes are expected to remain in place through September 21st.
MORE NEWS: San Diego Opens Free COVID Testing Site At U.S.-Mexico Border
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