Gov. Abbott's order imposing safety inspections on trucks crossing the border from Mexico inflicted billions of dollars in U.S. trade losses — including $1 billion per week at one bridge alone. | via NPR
Abbott had toutedas a crackdown on drug smuggling and human trafficking. But Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who like Abbott is a Republican, says the inspections did"nothing to stop the flow of illegal immigration or illegal drugs. I mean, absolutely zero."
That's because Abbott's inspections looked only at basic vehicle safety, such as the trucks' tires and brakes and lights — not their contents, Miller told"The governor's people have no authority to open the trucks," Miller said. Instead, he said, every truck undergoes inspections by federal and state agricultural agencies, as well as Customs and Border Protection.
The border inspections' final political tally remains unknown — but in recent days, their stark economic costs have come into focus. "The Perryman Group, an economic research and analysis firm based in Waco, estimated that total losses to the state were $470 million per day in what trade groups called 'a supply chain crisis,'"TPR reports."You're already seeing things like bananas, avocados, lemons and limes" going up in price, he said, adding that the border crisis has been compounded by a shipping crisis.
Abbott's order drew broad criticism on both sides of the border; many accused him of using the inspections as an attention-getting stunt for his reelection campaign. He lifted the order after the leaders of Mexican states across the border signed agreements that Abbott says will bolster border security. But as TPR notes, some of those stipulations were already in place before the inspections.
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