The Border Trade Alliance (BTA), a non-profit organization dedicated to trade, travel, and security matters, has expressed concerns about escalating congestion at ports of entry. The group has penned a letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott requesting a meeting to discuss these issues.

The BTA is a grassroots organization that strives to facilitate discussions on trade, travel, and security between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. According to its website, the alliance works towards improving border affairs and trade relations among these North American nations.

The website further reveals that the BTA is led by President Ms. Britton Mullen, an experienced government relations professional based in Washington D.C. The board of directors comprises over 60 members residing across the United States and abroad.

In its letter to Governor Abbott's office, the BTA mentioned that it had previously reached out multiple times to "register our strong opposition to the Texas Department of Public Safety's duplicative and costly inspections of commercial vehicles entering Texas from Mexico." While acknowledging frustration with federal management of the border, the BTA maintains that these inspections are leading to severe unintended consequences.

The letter also indicates that due to actions taken by the federal government—namely closing International Bridge I and reducing lanes at International Bridge II—and coupled with commercial inspections by Texas Department Public Safety, long waits have been imposed on people trying to re-enter the country.

The BTA cites one particularly tragic incident where a U.S. citizen suffered a fatal heart attack while waiting to re-enter the country. The alliance asserts that excessive wait times and congestion prevented first responders from reaching the man in time.