Double impediment to enter the United States

Anywhere, Teresa Gutiérrez would be considered an essential and possibly indispensable worker. Since before the pandemic reached the border, she worked from home making surgical caps – which doctors and nurses are so lacking today.

However, due to border restrictions, he is now in Tijuana, Mexico, without a job.
“I was crossing to San Diego [California] to buy the fabric for my surgical caps … In Tijuana the fabric does not have the same quality, it is not a guarantee of protection “for health workers, Teresa explained.

When its business was about to flourish, because the coronavirus triggered the need for protective caps, the United States in March imposed restrictions – which are still ongoing – on crossings deemed nonessential.

Going to California to shop is an activity not essential, even though for cases like Teresa’s, the result of that purchase helps protect the health of nurses and patients.

In addition, in March his visa to cross into the United States expired and, from the beginning of the pandemic, the State Department suspended the issuance of this document until further notice.

Teresa made between 20 and 30 surgical caps per week and it was enough to live quietly in Tijuana.

However, after the restrictions, he has had to stay in Tijuana and dedicate himself to making piñatas to survive. “Luckily they order me batches of 64 piñatas weekly and with that more or less it reaches me,” he confided.

Teresa’s case is far from isolated. Thousands of residents of Tijuana and Baja California often crossed the border to shop or visit relatives and today have seen their border way of life interrupted.

In Facebook groups, where information is exchanged about the conditions and waits to cross the sentry boxes, users often comment with resignation in case the restrictions continue.

The wait is extended

The first time the US imposed restrictions was from March 21 to April 21, it was assumed that from April 22, restricted persons, mainly holders of visitor visas, could pass again.

But before April 22, it was extended for one more month, and then another three consecutive times. Today the restrictions continue until August 22, it is not known if Mexico and the US will decide to extend it.

Some users make comments consistent with the Mexican prankster, such as “no matter when you read this announcement, it still takes a month for them to remove the restrictions.”

Or “why are they like this? I already need new socks. ” Many miss dishes that they ate in San Diego or Los Angeles, and others complain that “this year my visa is going to end without my ever using it”, and they will have to renew it.

According to San Diego Chamber of Commerce executive director Jason Wells, Mexican consumers who cross the border consume between 90% and 93% of daily sales at the busiest border between the two countries.

He estimates that merchants lose an average of $ 2 million a day because the bulk of Mexican consumers have to stay on their side of the border.

Consumers who are legal residents of the US and live in Tijuana or US citizens still cross to shop, but the number is minimal.

Some border food and clothing stores, where parking was previously difficult to find, now have very few vehicles.

A border affairs expert, Smarth Border Coalition chief executive Gustavo de la Fuente mentioned the possibility that the restrictions could continue until November after the election, but emphasizes that it is only a possibility.

However, instead of shrinking, COVID-19 has exploded across the border, especially on the U.S. side.

In Baja California, the warning light for the pandemic would change this Monday from red to orange, which means that there would be a reopening with business precautions, but Governor Jaime Bonilla decided to prolong the change for at least one more week.

If contagions reopen, as in California now, Baja California would have to re-close some of the business, and restrictions on border crossings are more likely to continue.