Algernon D'Ammassa

For the Headlight

COLUMBUS — On Monday a bipartisan group of officials spoke of gateways, trade, and a shared destiny between the United States and Mexico.

The U.S. General Services Administration had a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Columbus Port of Entry with trucks and earth-moving equipment working in the background. The Port of Entry was in view a short distance to the west, and brightly colored facades and billboards on the Palomas side could be seen beyond a concrete barrier.

Speaking at the ceremony were U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich; U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce; New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Matt Geisel; Columbus Port Director Robert Reza; and Mayor Philip Skinner of the Village of Columbus. GSA Acting Regional Administrator James Weller officiated.

According to the GSA, when construction is completed in February 2019, the new port of entry will feature new and expanded facilities for vehicle and pedestrian traffic, improved cargo areas, hazardous materials containment, a new administrative building and dock, and ample parking. In addition, more dedicated lanes are promised for private vehicles, commercial traffic, and pedestrians, and more than doubling commercial dock spaces from 6 to 14.

The senators, both Democrats, and Republican congress member Pearce all cited bipartisan collaboration at every level of government, from the village trustees and Luna County commissioners up to Congress.

"Columbus is really an important gateway," Senator Udall said in his speech. "I believe our relationship with Mexico is vital, as trading partners, as allies. Today we celebrate improving the connections, the ports, the entryways, and the friendship between our countries."

Senator Heinrich, in turn, suggested that years of working across party lines, culminating in Congressional approval of $85 million for construction of the facility last year, makes the project an example for any government to follow: "This is the kind of infrastructure investment that we should be pointing to, to all of our colleagues."

Rep. Pearce cited additional examples of the New Mexico delegation collaborating on infrastructure and economic development projects, such as the re-opening of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant outside Carlsbad in January, and increased use of Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo.

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Facing the southern border, Pearce said, "The relationship with our friends to the south is extremely important. No matter what the rest of the world does, we have our neighbors here, and we are going to get along just fine ... because trade, our lives, our families, are intertwined." Distancing himself from some Trump Administration rhetoric, Pearce added, "I know you hear the stuff out of Washington one way or another, but frankly it will depend on the three voices on this stage in the next two years, and we are working on these projects together."

Speaking to the Headlight after the ceremony, Pearce elaborated on Washington gridlock: "The problem is not the two parties working together, the problem is the Senate and the House working together, but our delegation is doing some phenomenal work."

When asked about President Trump's promise to build a southern border wall and its impact on trade, Senator Udall told the Headlight, "If we're going to throw around the idea of tearing up NAFTA or say we're going to put a tax on the border with one of our very best trading partners, let's remember all the trade that happens, the jobs that are created, and the prosperity that is a result of it. We should focus on what's good for our economy here." Remarking that the Trump Administration "seems to be learning on the job," he said, "I'm hoping that the more this administration learns, the more they realize this is a good thing."

One local business owner, Raul Martinez of the Border Shoppers Duty Free store in Columbus, was optimistic that the new port of entry will enhance economic activity in Columbus. "It changes a lot," he said, "because now it focuses on people from Mexico and other countries that might build maquilas here and produce more business."

Norma Gomez of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce anticipated easier traffic, particularly crossing from Mexico into the United States. Pointing to the current port of entry, which was built in 1989, she said, "For us, that is the 'new' port of entry. This one is huge compared to the one we had." With increased traffic and closer inspections, however, she hopes the expansive new gateway will ease the way for visitors traveling north as well as south.

"There are times when you cross from Mexico on the weekend — my aunt lives down there and they have to wait an hour and a half, maybe two hours. It's not easy to cross the border. It's usually a 45-minute wait — on a good day."