Tijuana—The pilot program for expedited crossings at the San Ysidro port of entry, which includes screening filters on the Mexican side of the border to discourage frequent passenger lane use by unauthorized vehicles and individuals, was expanded, according to the Mexican government. Announced this Friday.
According to Mexican officials, representatives of the National Institute of Migration (INM), the National Guard, the government of the state of Baja California and Tijuana’s Secretary of Security and Civil Protection (SSPCM) participated in the first phase of the program. ,
According to the Mexican government, the pilot program will run from November 15, 2022, to January 15, 2023, with filters from Mexican authorities just south of the San Ysidro checkpoint.
“This allowed US officials to redirect human resources to provide a greater number of vehicle lanes for travelers from Mexico,” the Mexican government said in a press release issued this Friday.
According to officials, the pilot program will help reduce wait times at border crossings, but in one of our reports at the start of the program, travelers reported otherwise.
“I think they’re just wasting time,” said one of the passengers in our previous report on this pilot program, when it first launched last November.
The end-of-the-year high season is just around the corner and cross-border flows already reflect an increase in mobility with lines exceeding 4 hours to enter the United States.
pilot program results
This Friday, the Mexican government said that during the 60 days of the pilot program, the review filters the presence of Mexican officials from three levels of government:
- This discouraged the number of unauthorized vehicles that managed to cross the United States to 30%.
- A total of 81 vehicles were confiscated on the Mexican side.
- An average of 31 inspection booths were allowed to open, which was three more than what would normally be open at that port of entry, positively impacting wait times.
The Mexican government did not disclose how long the pilot program would be extended.
