Douglas Port of Entry in immediate need of expansion

By U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords

Wyatt Earp had been dead only three years when the Douglas Port of Entry was built in 1932. Herbert Hoover was president, George Hunt was governor and Arizona's entire population stood at a mere 435,000.

Our state, our border and our nation's security needs have changed dramatically over the last 77 years. Changes at the Douglas Port of Entry haven't been quite so far-reaching.

The port today is too small and completely outdated. It is on the front lines of our national security mission and is the second-largest of Arizona's eight commercial land ports - yet it has been 16 years since the federal government last undertook a major renovation of the port.

This is an intolerable situation that must be addressed. The federal government, working in cooperation with the government of Mexico, must make upgrading the port a higher priority.

The federal government's failure to make the necessary changes at the Douglas Port of Entry is highlighted by the sweeping upgrades taking place at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales. This project - costing an estimated $212 million - is intended to transform Mariposa into what Janet Napolitano, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, called "a flagship" port.

I welcome the upgrades to Mariposa. They are needed. But neglecting Douglas makes no sense and this is the very point I stressed in a Sept. 8 letter to Martha Johnson, the new administrator of the General Services Administration. I reminded Johnson that our ports of entry are crucial for both national security and economic growth. An obsolete port like Douglas represents a threat to both.

The economic importance of the Douglas Port of Entry is significant, to both Arizona and the nation. According to the latest statistics, 110 trucks pass through the port each weekday, carrying $3.5 million worth of goods between the United States and Mexico. They include copper, auto parts, cattle, machinery and many other products essential to our everyday lives.

Thousands of Arizonans owe their jobs to the international trade and commerce conducted at Douglas. But Douglas, of course, is not alone. Commercial traffic through Arizona's ports has grown by 17 percent - an increase of 55,000 trucks - between 2002 and 2007. Traffic is expected to triple over the next 15 to 20 years.

Unfortunately, the Douglas Port of Entry is ill-equipped to handle to this increased volume. The delays are unacceptably long and security must be strengthened to help stem the trafficking of drugs and people.

The problems with the Douglas Port of Entry were discussed recently at the Douglas Economic and Trade Forum. In an article in the Douglas Dispatch, Victor Gonzales, economic development director for the city, called the port "broken" and said it was unable to meet our 21st century needs.

That is simply unacceptable. With the downturn in our economy, our nation's businesses cannot afford delays at our borders. International trade and commerce are vital elements to bolstering our economy.

Improving the Douglas Port of Entry also will help strengthen border security. Ports in Arizona play a key role in controlling illegal drug trafficking. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized a record 291 pounds of heroin at the state's six land ports in fiscal year 2008 - a 200 percent increase from 2007.

Just recently, the Douglas Dispatch reported that a 17-year-old boy was stopped at the Port of Entry with more than 500 pounds of marijuana with a street value of $840,000 in a hidden compartment of the truck he was driving.

Plans have been drawn up for a new Douglas Port of Entry. That new port would triple capacity, allowing 1,500 commercial trucks to pass daily. It would be west of the current port and have nine lanes for vehicle traffic. Commercial traffic would have two reserved lanes and two cargo inspection docks.

But the new port is scheduled for completion no sooner than the mid-2020s. We cannot wait that long. The expanded port is needed today, not in 15 years. By then it already will be outdated.

A successful expansion of the Douglas Port of Entry must also include the necessary infrastructure on the Agua Prieta side of the international border. As a co-chairperson of the U.S.-Mexico Interparlimentary Working Group, I work closely with members of the Mexican Congress on issues that impact both nations.

A port of entry large enough to meet the demands of our region's commercial and tourist traffic is just one of those issues. I will contact my counterparts in the Mexican government and ask for their commitment to the successful implementation of this bi-national project.

The Douglas Port of Entry was built to service a town of only 9,828 residents. In the ensuing 77 years, Douglas has grown by nearly 80 percent to almost 18,000 residents. International trade has grown even more rapidly and now is a driving force in our economy. Yet through the administrations of 13 presidents and 19 Arizona governors, the port remains trapped in time.

As I did with the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, I will continue fighting to secure needed funding for a new Douglas Port of Entry. The federal government has to realize that it must move quickly to bring the port into the 21st Century. This port, like Mariposa, is vital to the economy of Southeastern Arizona and it is vital to the security of the United States.

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