Last week, Abbott’s office announced a series of actions in response to President Joe Biden’s plans to lift Title 42, a Trump-era pandemic policy that effectively barred immigrants from seeking asylum in the United States in late May. The strategies, according to the Abbott office, are aimed at “restricting the flow of drugs, traffickers, illegal immigrants, weapons and other smuggling into Texas” and include “enhanced security inspections” of commercial vehicles entering the United States from ports of entry. in TX. The DPS did not respond when asked by CNN if any commercial drivers had been charged with human trafficking or drug-related offenses, but said that as of Sunday, they had inspected 2,685 commercial vehicles at selected ports of entry along the Texas-Mexico border and 64 locations. out of order for “serious safety violations” involving defective brakes, tires and lighting. Texas border inspections are considered redundant by at least two major trade groups who say the new policy is already wreaking havoc on the border. “Adding an additional Texas DPS inspection once trucks cross the border causes serious delays without a corresponding increase in border security,” Lance Jungmeyer, Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, wrote in Abbott Saturday. “More than $ 9 billion worth of products are traded through Texas,” he wrote, adding that the recently announced border inspection policy has “severely affected trade” across the state. On Sunday, the president of the Border Trade Alliance – a non-profit organization representing a network of more than 4.2 million public and private sector affected by US-Mexico-Canada trade relations – issued a statement who warned that Abbott’s policy could lead to higher consumer prices. “We oppose any action at the state level leading to an inspection process that repeats inspections already conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection,” Britton Malen said in a statement. “While border states such as Texas have an important role to play in ensuring truck safety and code compliance, the state should work with the CBP not to engage in a new inspection system that will slow the movement of goods. “which will only exacerbate the country’s supply chain crisis and put even greater upward pressure on consumer prices.” CNN contacted Abbott’s office in response to criticism of their new policy and border congestion.
