Whether it be in Tijuana, Reynosa, New Laredo or Miguel Aleman if you are traveling by car from Mexico to the Unites States, pack a lunch, and a BIG one at that. Epic lines of grid locked traffic span the highways at every point of entry from Mexico to the United States. What generally takes up to 90 minutes to cross is now taking 4 to 7 hours, depending on the point of entry.

For some entrance points the increased traffic is due to summer vacation. Mexicans from the Northern State of Nuevo Leon are taking their children to visit relatives, Sea World, and shopping. Tijuana residents are doing the same, many Americans are returning from a family vacation in Mexico, but the ones who are really feeling the effect are the Mexican border citizens and United States border businesses themselves.

Many Mexican and American citizens live on the Mexican side of the border to take advantage of lower prices in housing, but continue to work, legally, in the United States. For most of these citizens being as they leave before the “tourist” peak hours, a 30 minute commute to their jobs in the United States has converted into hours as the border officials stop and inspect every vehicle and every document.

Border crossings will become even more delayed next June, when even American citizens, will be required a passport to enter their own country. As the border traffic news spreads across Mexico, many businesses in the United States are reporting a grave loss in sales and employees, cargos are being delayed, and many sources of economic survival for U.S. border towns are being greatly affected.

There is no doubt that the United States has a right to secure its borders. Not only does it have a right, it SHOULD have increased security, but it should also have the manpower and technology to allow crossings in a considerable timely manner.