Longer wait times at ports of entry could affect students who cross daily

U.S. Customs and Border Protection warned those who cross the border on a daily basis to expect longer wait times crossing international bridges beginning Wednesday.

A large number of specially trained CBP officers from the El Paso, Santa Teresa and Tornillo ports of entry are being deployed to Arizona and California in response to the approaching migrant caravan.

Decreased resources will impact all shifts and reduce CBP’s ability to maintain the “All Lanes Open Initiative” between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., the peak times when many border residents commute to work and school.

ABC-7 reached out to the El Paso Independent School District to see how this would affect student populations.

In order to enroll at schools within the district, students must have a local address.

“We provide services only to students who reside within the County of El Paso,” said spokesman Gustavo Reveles.

Father Yermo School, a small private Catholic school, is less than four miles away from the Bridge of the Americas.

“Approximately 60 percent of the students pass every day from Juarez to El Paso,” said Sister Yamila Trejo, Principal Father Yermo High School.

Those students told ABC-7 they often worry about making it to class on time in the morning, like senior Valeria Ponce, who said her most important classes start her day.

“One day I had pre-calculus, and I had a test so I worried about that.”

Many of the students have the luxury of staying at a house in El Paso, but not all do.

A student at Bowie High School, who didn’t want to identify himself said he lives far away from the bridge, and now has to wake up earlier to try and make it to class on time.

He said he can’t tell his teachers about his situation out of fear he will be kicked out.

You can review border wait times on our website.