House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson is astounded with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) continued dismissive attitude towards Minnesota residents living near the northern border after the agency failed to incorporate local community input during a recent review over the reduction of service hours at the Lancaster, MN and Roseau, MN Ports of Entry.
Local manufacturing plants and business owners, hospital administrators, Canadian Members of Parliament, Roseau and Lancaster elected officials, and local Chambers of Commerce have urged CBP to return these ports to normal operating hours.
“It is ridiculous that CBP failed to listen to local leaders and businesses,” said Peterson. “Canada figured this out and there’s no reason we can’t either. CBP is going to learn that Congress is a co-equal branch of government and that their arrogance towards people living in rural areas will not be tolerated.
On January 2018, CBP began a reduction in service hours at two ports along the U.S.-Canadian border in northern Minnesota. The Lancaster, MN port was reduced from 8:00 a.m.- 10:00 p.m. down to 8:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. (during the winter months) or 8:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. (during the summer months.) Roseau, MN was reduced from 8:00 a.m.-midnight down to 8:00 a.m- 8:00 p.m. year round. These reductions had immediate consequences on the Minnesotans and Canadian citizens who rely on a working border for commerce and safety reasons.
In reaction to this reduction, Congressman Peterson wrote letters to CBP, submitted statements at two town halls, proposed alternative solutions, attended local meetings between Roseau, Lancaster, and CBP officials, and finally arranged a Washington, DC meeting between senior CBP officers, local stakeholders, and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson. Despite these advocacy efforts, CBP recently announced the agency will maintain the reduction in service hours.
Contrary to the existence of these letters, town halls, and meetings, CBP wrote in its recent decision, “The Seattle Field Office has received no complaints—written, electronic, or telephonic—since reduced hours went into effect. At the March 2019 meeting, Roseau County and the City of Roseau officials as well as other stakeholders did not voice to CBP representatives any disruptions affecting appreciable segments of the community although they did note several examples of inconveniences to individuals and small groups such as a bowling league.” Meanwhile, CBP continues to divert much-needed personnel from the northern to the southern border.
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