Sunland Park Officials Clear Up New Border Crossing Confusion

On Tuesday, ABC-7 told viewers about the city of Sunland Park’s plans to build a new border crossing after a “memorandum of understanding” was signed in Santa Fe last week by the governors of New Mexico and Chihuahua.

But on Wednesday, New Mexico’s governor told ABC-7 she hasn’t signed anything.

It appears to be a misunderstanding, but as the details get sorted out, plans to build the border crossing in Sunland Park continue to move forward.

“At the meeting, we talked about the presentation made by the Mexican governor,” New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez said. “But I never signed anything.”

ABC-7 asked Sunland Park officials about the confusion.

“There was an agreement that was a written agreement that was proposed to be signed,” Sunland Park City Manager Jaime Aguilera said.

Aguilera assured ABC-7 that the governor supports the new border crossing, but he explained that the details of the document to be signed are still being worked, although he said he expects it to be signed soon.

“There was a minor technical problem that came in too late to change before the signatures actually took place,” Aguilera said. “I’m 100 percent sure it’s going to happen. I don’t have any doubt.”

Sunland Park officials are confident that a new port of entry like the one in nearby Santa Teresa would be a big boon for their economy, connecting the more than 14,000 people in Sunland Park with the more than a million in Juarez.

“This means jobs, this means growth, it means economic development,” Aguilera said.

He isn’t the only one excited about the new crossing. Sunland Park residents and businesses are too.

“A lot of the businesses here in Sunland Park and El Paso benefit from the people coming over from Juarez,” Sunland Wireless store owner Jaime Aranda said.

Aguilera said a member of the U.S. State Department was in Sunland Park Wednesday meeting with him about the crossing.

“That’s our next goal, to get their support so that then we can eventually get that presidential permit,” Aguilera said.

Martinez reminded ABC-7 that the presidential permit is what’s really needed for a new border crossing.

Aguilera said a new crossing would mean $2 to $6 million a year in the city of Sunland Park’s coffers.