• Last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to begin inspecting commercial vehicles that cross the U.S./Mexico border along the edge of Texas. These inspections are in addition to standard federal immigration and customs inspections.
• Gov. Abbott initiated the additional inspection protocol following the Biden administration’s recent announcement to end Title 42 — a pandemic-era public health law that allows federal officials to turn away migrants at the border in the name of Covid 19. In his announcement, Gov. Abbott said, “We will use any and all lawful powers to curtail the flow of drugs, human traffickers, illegal immigrants, weapons and other contraband into Texas.”
• Each inspection takes about 45 minutes to an hour and has caused significant delays. The Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, which is the largest land port for produce, sees about 3,000 commercial crossings a day. That number dropped to between 500 and 700 per day after the increased checks began, with vehicles waiting up to 14 hours to cross.
• Protests against the new inspections started Monday, when more than 100 drivers began blocking the Pharr-Reynosa bridge. Commercial vehicles have diverted to other parts of the Texas-Mexico border or have entered the U.S. through Arizona and New Mexico.
• Why It Matters: "This has national ramifications. This is trade going to Ford Motor Company. This is trade going to Minnesota. It’s not just about the city of Laredo trying to get stuff to their local H-E-B (a Texas grocery chain)," said John D. Esparza, chief executive of the Texas Trucking Association.

Frustration grows over truck backlogs at Texas-Mexico border (Associated Press)

As Texas snarls traffic at border, mexican truckers form blockade (New York Times)

International trade halted at Texas border crossings as truckers protest Greg Abbott’s new inspections (Texas Tribune)