BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Rep. Brian Higgins (N.Y.-26) is pressuring the Department of Homeland Security to take action to reopen the United States-Canada border to non-essential travel.
The border is closed to non-essential travel until May 21 and has been closed for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Higgins spoke with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on the phone this past week. Higgins asked for immediate family members and property owners to be considered essential and allowed to cross the border.
“We have been dealing with coronavirus, first SARS, then MERS, now COVID-19, for 18 years now and we could see variants for years to come," Rep. Higgins said. "People living on either side of the U.S. – Canada border have already lost a year of time with their loved ones and they should not have to wait one more day. The U.S. can and should take immediate action to allow family members to be together again.”
Higgins says the two governments need to provide an idea on when the border will start to reopen and not just push the closure month by month.
"People deserve and are demanding more than that. They need to understand what they can look forward to. They need to know that we have goals and objectives," added Higgins.
You can view the letter Rep. Higgins sent to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas by clicking here.
