Northern border ports of entry set to reduce hours
ALBANY, NY (NEWS10)---- U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be changing the hours of 38 ports of entry along the U.S./ Canadian Border.
The New York ports of Chateauguay, Overton Corners, Rouses Point, and Trout River are slated to have a reduction of hours beginning January 6th.
Republican State Senator Dan Stec said the reason is staffing issues.
"They want to pull back on some of the hours of operations for some of the smaller crossings, basically scavenge the people— the staff," explained Stec. "In doing that, their argument apparently has been, well some of these small crossings only have a car or two an hour crossing."
Stec said what some people may not realize is the impact it could have on emergency services.
"The Canadian residents are members of U.S. volunteer fire companies or that Canadian and U.S. companies have mutual aid agreements, where they will literally send fire trucks across the border to fight a structure fire."
North Country Democratic Assemblyman, Billy Jones, also highlighted the negative effects it could have.
"That’s going to have a detrimental effect, not only to residents along the border here that depend on going back and forth to see family members, but also small businesses, and commercial truck traffic that runs through there."
While it’s been argued the bigger ports of Champlain or Messina can be used instead, Jones said it takes time to get there.
"We know in the commercial trucking business that time is money as well, and that will trickle down to have a cost effect on our residents," said the Assemblyman.
Governor Kathy Hochul opposes the change in hours too stating in part, “ We need to expand enforcement at the northern border today and I call on the U.S. Customs and Border protection to reverse this decision.”
Her statement mentioned New York is experiencing a dramatic increase in irregular northern border crossings and that $5 million dollars from federal state homeland security protection program funding was redirected to enhance security efforts at the border.
Commissioner Jackie Bray SOT: "It just does not make sense to move a team of people, a force of people that we need more of to fewer hours," said Jackie Bray, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.