Border at San Luis not closed

Tuesday morning's terrorist attacks slowed border traffic and border businesses in San Luis, Ariz. — and the delays may continue.

“We're on a higher level of alert status,” said John Schwamm, assistant port director for U.S. Customs in San Luis. This is the first time a heightened level of alert has been declared since New Year's Eve Y2K, he said.

Officials said the heightened level of alert means searching each vehicle thoroughly from bumper to bumper and every person crossing, rather than the typical random checks. The intensive searching causes long lines to form as more time is spent with everyone crossing.

Max Pitzer, Customs port director in San Luis, said he has “no clue” how long the increased security will last. Pitzer said he hoped Tuesday's delays into the United States, which reached three hours, won't continue today. But he didn't know for sure if the delays would persist.

And though commercial traffic was diverted west to Mexicali, the San Luis port of entry did not close to pedestrian traffic and private vehicles, said Pitzer.

During the delays, business slowed in San Luis due to the long lines into the United States, said San Luis business owners who cater to Mexican shoppers.

“There's not a lot of people, the line (into the United States) is very long,” said Anna Ortiz, a cashier at the IGA supermarket.

Pitzer said there appeared to be more traffic than usual coming in from Mexico. He speculated it was because television media falsely suggested the port would be closing, so U.S. citizens rushed to make it home across the border while they could.

Pitzer said there was a three-hour delay into the United States at 11 a.m., but by 4 p.m. the delay was only 15 minutes. There was no delay into Mexico, he said.

One merchant said her business felt fluctuations that coincided with the delays. Diana Guzman, the head cashier at Del Sol grocery store in San Luis, said earlier business was slow, but it picked up as the lines in and out of Mexico reduced.

“I don't think anybody is concerned with business right now,” San Luis Mayor Joe Harper said. “I think they are concerned with what is happening with this country. We are praying for people in those buildings and hoping to hell we don't have a third World War.”

Harper said he thought closing the borders was a good idea.

“They should be closed,” he said. “It's the safety of our country that's at stake.”