CBP explains May long weekend

The first major long weekend of the summer, the Canadian Queen Victoria Day weekend, saw hours-long lineups of cars entering Point Roberts. There were numerous reports of delays, regular long stops in vehicle processing and enhanced screenings by travelers using both the regular and NEXUS lanes. The All Point Bulletin reached out to CBP Public Information Officer Jason Givens for an explanation.

APB: Who authorized the apparent enhanced inspection regime at the Point Roberts port of entry and what was the reasoning behind its timing i.e. a Canadian holiday weekend and start of the summer travel season?

CBP: There was not an enhanced inspection “regime” or operation at the port that weekend. It is clear May 19 was considerably busier than expected. Staffing levels were increased for May 20-22 in anticipation of the heavy traffic volume. Discussions with officers who have worked at Point Roberts for many years said that Friday night was unlike any Victoria Day weekend they remembered in the past and would not have predicted the amount of traffic that was experienced. The Point Roberts port of entry will make every effort to increase future staffing levels to accommodate the return of pre-COVID travel volume on holiday weekends. For the weekend of May 19-22, officers at Point Roberts POE processed more than 8,700 vehicles and more than 13,000 passengers.

 APB: People reported that all lanes of incoming traffic were halted for as long as 15 minutes at a time on multiple occasions. 

CBP: Processing speed and time vary between officers and traffic can stall significantly during officer lane changes. A review of video footage did not show consistent 15-minute delays in processing at the booth, but it did show gaps in vehicle traffic. This could result in a longer delay at the end of the vehicle line up.

APB: Given that NEXUS cardholders go through a prior approval process and that many, if not most, of them are full-time residents in Point Roberts, why was the NEXUS traffic chosen for enhanced inspection?

CBP: Again, there was not an enhanced inspection “regime” or operation at the port, however, any vehicle can be chosen for an enhanced inspection. It’s the same as at an airport, Global Entry members can be chosen for further inspection as can members of other trusted traveler programs. 

APB: Given the number of officers visibly on duty inside the POE, why was there no effort to keep as many lanes open as possible?

CBP: Every effort was made to keep as many processing lanes open as possible. Lanes one and two are vehicle processing lanes and lane three is NEXUS only. Lane four is the cargo lane and cannot be used for vehicle processing. Just because a lane is empty does not indicate we are not operating at full capacity. Additionally, Point Roberts has a very small lobby. Opening multiple lanes on busy days creates an influx of travelers waiting in the lobby pending inspection. With three lanes running, it requires six officers to maintain those lanes. When referrals occur, the lobby reaches standing room only very quickly. We try to avoid overfilling the lobby as it creates unsafe conditions for the public, particularly for elderly travelers.

APB: Can the residents of Point Roberts anticipate further enhanced inspection regimes on an on-going basis?

CBP: Although no special operations were running over the long weekend, it is likely that Point Roberts will conduct operations over the summer in order to fulfill agency and mission requirements. When that occurs, every effort will be made to facilitate visitors and residents alike during enhanced operations.

Additionally, travelers are urged to plan ahead to help mitigate longer crossing times. We encourage travelers to cross during non-peak hours and to monitor wait times with CBP’s Border Wait Times website or app: bwt.cbp.gov. Travelers should have their documents ready to hand to the inspecting officer and should know the contents of their vehicle and be prepared to declare all items obtained from outside of the U.S. More information is available at CBP’s Know Before You Go website.

These tips are not a panacea, but they may help alleviate wait times in many instances. We encourage travelers to remain patient and understanding, particularly as this was the first long weekend since the lifting of all restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. We will strive to anticipate higher traffic volumes and adjust staffing levels as needed.