Threat of Border Bottlenecks

More than 430 million people cross U.S. borders annually, and 85% of them do so at land ports of entry on tourist trips, shopping excursions or business trips from Canada and Mexico.

Business is good now, and to preserve it Washington legislators should correct a mistake made four years ago when the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1996 was moving through Congress. A provision, Section 110, on which there was no debate, was inserted in conference committee. This perhaps well-intentioned but ill-thought-out measure could have serious consequences for trade, business and tourism with both Canada and Mexico if Congress insists on its implementation.

The stultifying Section 110 mandates that an automated system be established to record the entry and exit of all foreigners at U.S. borders.

Government properly uses border checks to guard U.S. territory. INS agents question motorists crossing the border and use their discretion to pursue further questioning if they sense some reason for concern. Obviously, if every passenger of every vehicle is asked to provide excessive information, border traffic would be paralyzed, and along with it normal trade and tourism. The computer check required under Section 110 would further delay the process and raise the cost of doing business across borders.

This is overkill, and the INS last week informed Congress it could not come up with an automated system for recording entry-departure data at 300 points by the mandated date of March 30, 2001.

The INS officers should be allowed to handle their responsibilities without mandatory computer checks. Implementing the program would require building new facilities, buying new technologies and hiring additional personnel. And we can only imagine the pollution caused by long lines of cars at border check sites.

The United States does not need and cannot afford Section 110, and in 1998 the Senate agreed, passing Senate Bill 1360, which would have eliminated the entire program.

The House voted later to keep Section 110 but to delay it. Then late last year, Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-Mich.) introduced the proposed Border Improvement and Immigration Act of 1999, S 745. This bill would eliminate the requirements of Section 110 and require a feasibility study to measure the potential cost and benefits of an entry-exit system. It’s a sensible solution that calls for more inspectors if needed, not harassing computer checks.

Trade, politics and good sense require a free flow of commerce with the United States’ two neighbors. Abraham’s bill is a reasonable alternative and deserves the unanimous support of Congress.