Washington, D.C.—Today, U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) released the following statement regarding the White House’s decision to set November 8^th as the date to end travel restrictions through land and ferry ports of entry for fully vaccinated non-essential internationals:

“November 8^th will be the day when fully vaccinated non-essential travelers will be allowed to enter the U.S. through our land and ferry ports,” said Congressman Cuellar. “ I want to thank the White House for their thoughtfulness in this decision. I have been fighting for this for months and now we finally have an exact date on which our border businesses will once again receive Mexican consumers and families will be reunited after 19 months. I am currently working with local authorities on both sides of the border to ensure that when that day comes, we have the resources necessary to ensure the safety of all American citizens.” 

Congressman Cuellar continued, “On November 8^th , our local economies will be reinvigorated and our path back to normality will be set. With the date fast approaching, I will work tirelessly with the relevant federal, state, and local entities so that we are prepared to receive foreign nationals through our land POEs from a personnel, equipment, and technology standpoint. I will continue to promote and facilitate vaccination campaigns on both the U.S. and Mexican sides. ”

The White House announcement follows the one from Tuesday by the DHS setting a path for fully vaccinated travelers to enter the U.S. via land and ferry ports. Non-essential travelers will be required to provide proof of full vaccination by a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).

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