U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) last week joined a New York Democratic colleague in seeking a coordinated reopening of the northern border developed by the United States and Canadian governments.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on March 24 imposed travel restrictions at Land Ports of Entry between the U.S. and Canada, limiting crossings to essential travel due to COVID-19 pandemic. A second notice extended travel restrictions through May 20 and a third agreement extended northern border restrictions through June 22, according to Rep. Stefanik’s office.
“Recent reporting suggests that current travel restrictions will be extended through July and we are increasingly concerned about the impact a restricted border will have on our communities long term,” wrote Rep. Stefanik and U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY), co-chairs of the congressional Northern Border Caucus, in a June 12 letter sent to DHS Acting Secretary Chad Wolf and Canada’s Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness in the House of Commons.
“We appreciate that the incidence of COVID-19 at communities along the border varies and we respect the public health imperative; yet, a one-size-fits-all approach toward allowing travel across the border has the impact of keeping communities apart,” the lawmakers wrote. “There must be bi-national coordination to develop a plan to safely allow for reasonable travel taking into account public health considerations but acknowledging our unique interconnected economies.”
In the U.S., for instance, the congressmen noted that individual states have started to implement their own reopening guidance that reflects both the incidence of COVID-19 and other conditions unique to their border communities, which they wrote “are especially vulnerable to the decision-making of national governments, neglecting the consideration of regional and local preferences or conditions.”
Rep. Stefanik and her colleague also pointed out that any bi-national plan should “require individuals to be disciplined in their own communities and abide by the safety precautions prescribed by their public health officials.”