Local economies, communities suffer due to failures to return hours?
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) today again pushed U.S. Customs and Border Protections (CBP) to return Porthill Port of Entry hours in northern Idaho to pre-pandemic operating hours. The current, reduced hours are slowing the flow of people and goods, and it is negatively affecting the local economies. Senator Mike Crapo and U.S. Congressman Russ Fulcher joined Risch in sending the letter.
“We write to again urge the Department of Homeland Security to return the Porthill Port of Entry hours to 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m, which existed prior to the pandemic and parallels the current operating hours at the Canadian port,” wrote the Idaho delegation.
“As the closest border crossing for Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and Creston, British Columbia, Porthill plays a critical role in facilitating the flow of workers, tourists, and families across our border. It is also a key crossing for members of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, whose ancestral homeland is bisected by the international border.”
The delegation has repeatedly advocated for CBP to restore hours, but thus far the hours have only been slightly extended. Signage around the crossing also still incorrectly lists the closing hours.
The full letter can be read here.?
