The BTA has expressed its strong concerns in this letter that an indefinite closure to travel that is deemed “non-essential” could be economically devastating to border communities, which are dependent on cross-border commerce in order to deliver core government services.

The Department of Homeland Security announced on May 19, 2020 that the travel restrictions in place at the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders since March will remain in place for another month until June 22.

In our April letter to Congress containing recommendations for a future Covid-19 relief package we wrote regarding aid to states, “Flexibility should be granted to governors and legislatures in their use of those dollars, but we would urge Congress to make clear that border county and municipal governments whose budgets depend on international bridge tolls and sales taxes derived from cross-border shoppers and visitors should be prioritized in the distribution of those funds.”