Directing US-VISIT

October 10, 2004

Back from covering the Border Trade Alliance's Mexico City Conference and Trade Show ("10 Years of NAFTA: What Lies Ahead?"), held September 29-30 in Mexico City, Ron Whitlock presented his interview with the Director of US-VISIT, Jim Williams, and others.

Jim Williams and Border Trade Alliance (BTA) Chairman Jessica Pacheco defended their positions on the scheduled implementation of the controversial Exit provisions of U.S.VISIT at border crossings on January 1, 2005 on this edition of "Valley NewsLine."

Williams assured Whitlock on the program that, "we have a Presidential and Congressional mandate to implement this (exit) system in a way that it does not adversely impact legitimate trade and travel. We do not want to disturb the $650 million dollars a day in trade that comes across the Southwestern border. In response to Whitlock's questions and last weeks criticism's of U.S.VISIT on the program by Dennis Nixon, Chairman of the Alliance for Security and Trade, Williams claimed that on January 1, 2005, "people, for example, the 6.8million Mexicans who use a border crossing card, or lazer visa, where they can travel within 25 miles of the border, 75 miles in Arizona, for now 30 days, it used to be 3 days as recently expanded by the Department of Homeland Security, will see almost no impact."

The Perryman Report economic forecast has predicted that 1.4 million jobs could be lost and over $200Billion dollars in U.S. economic activity adversely affected if border traffic slows only 20% when those leaving U.S. border crossing points begin to be stopped and checked at the first of the year, for the first time in U.S. history.

Border Trade Alliance Chairman Jessica Pacheco refuted the opinion that the BTA is "in-bed" with U.S.VISIT due to its involvement in last weeks Mexico City conference and voices concerns about the Bush Administrations plans to stop traffic exiting U.S. border crossings on January 1st, by pointing out that the organization opposes exit controls of U.S.VISIT until it is clearly demonstrated that they shall do no harm to any of the NAFTA economies of the border regions, or the quality of life for its residents.

Also appearing was Harlingen City Commissioner, J.J. Gonzales, who explains why his city supports U.S.VISIT while other major South Texas communities, namely McAllen and Brownsville, oppose it.

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