Senator Martin Heinrich urges for port of entry expansion plans to proceed

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- U. S. Senator Martin Trevor Heinrich sent a letter to Customs and Border Patrol on March 14, urging them to finalize a study for the expansion and modernization of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry.

In the letter, Heinrich says the Santa Teresa Land Port of Entry's position as a key point in international trade between the U.S. and Mexico means the infrastructure is vital to maintaining that trade.

"Once this study is finalized, then it'll become part of the budget process and I will use my position on the Appropriations Committee to make sure that we begin to fund actual implementation," Heinrich said in an interview with ABC-7.

Heinrich also mentioned in the letter that U.S ports of entry act as the "front line" in the country's efforts intercept fentanyl.

"We have the capacity of Santa Teresa to really expand the the positive impacts of the border and at the same time invest in the infrastructure to be able to prevent fentanyl from crossing the border, prevent firearm arms from flowing south," Senator Heinrich said.

Heinrich says following this expansion, he wants to focus on new infrastructure for other ports of entry.

The Santa Teresa Port of Entry offers commercial and commuter lanes for crossing the border, and hosts the largest livestock export/import facility on a port of entry.