U.S.-Mexico border to remain closed to ‘non-essential’ travel through June 22

EL PASO, Texas -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that it will keep the U.S.-Mexico border shut down to "non-essential" traffic through June 22.

The closure has been in effect since March 20 due to the coronavirus pandemic and has wreaked havoc on the Borderland economy, particularly impacting downtown El Paso merchants.

Prior to the restrictions being put in place, about 30,000 cars had entered El Paso daily from Ciudad Juarez.

U.S. officials had indicated earlier this month that an extension of the Mexican border restrictions was likely as they attributed it to cutting illegal crossings in half.

Essential travel remains allowed for those crossing the border for medical purposes, attending school or engaged in trade and commerce, according to the Homeland Security regulations. What stays curtailed is tourism and recreational trips. (See the regulations document at the bottom of this article.)

Earlier in the day, Homeland Security had announced a similar extension to travel restrictions along the U.S. northern border with Canada.

A Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN, “The United States has great appreciation for the efforts of our partners in Canada and Mexico to ensure that North America is working together to combat the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus."