INSIDE

Border lineups relief promised

By Meg Olson

Local businesses and residents have been clamoring for relief from long lines at the border and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials say help is on the way.

Joan Roberts, owner of Brewster’s Restaurant, has been encouraging local businesses to follow her lead and call or write to members of our congressional delegation asking for some relief from long border waits. “The border delays affect us all both personally and in business and we need to write to our congressman and Senators to bring awareness to the situation,” she wrote. “The situation will get worse before it gets better if they do not receive additional personnel at our border.”

Two CBP officers working at the local port of entry who asked to not be named said the port needed four new officers to keep up with the traffic volume over the summer. They’ll be getting two.

“We’ve responded to the wait time issue by transferring two officers to Point Roberts, which makes them fully staffed plus one,” said CBP public information officer Mike Milne.

Milne said the transfers were effective May 13 but the effect of the staff increase might not be felt until the end of May. “We expect that by next week, with these two additional people and leave issues resolved we should be able to open the second regular lane as often as necessary,” he said.