El Paso Standard

In El Paso, the ban on non-essential cross-border travel has been felt especially hard, yet residents have greeted a continuation of the ban with mixed emotions.

El Paso Mayor Dee Margo told Border Report that the fact people are still dying from COVID-19 on both sides of the border, with a combined 25 deaths between Juarez and El Paso, is evidence that preventing those populations from mixing is still necessary.

“The extension of non-essential travel restrictions is important during a time when both countries are still reopening their economies and testing capacity still needs expanding,” Margo said.

For local merchants, the lack of customers from Mexico has been a detriment, but one man – a U.S. citizen who is able to cross the border to visit his wife in Juarez – told Border Report that it’s best to keep the border closed for now.

“I feel bad for the people there but the way the economy is in Juarez right now, Mexican nationals need to spend their money in Mexico,” Christopher Lantz told Border Report. “There’ll be plenty of time to come over and spend your money here later. Right now, stay over there and spend your money over there.”