Mexican court workers block traffic at US port of entry

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Dozens of demonstrators carrying banners and signs on Tuesday morning blocked passenger vehicle traffic on the Juarez, Mexico, side of the Bridge of the Americas. A smaller contingent held a similar protest at the Paso del Norte Bridge but did not block traffic.

The protests began around 8 a.m. Demonstrators and Mexico’s National Guard reached an agreement to lift the blockade at BOTA and let motorists cross into the U.S. before 11 a.m.

Videos taken by a Border Report camera crew show people identifying themselves as employees of the Mexican judiciary system standing in front of traffic, waving flags and denouncing a recently ratified constitutional amendment to elect judges by popular vote.

The demonstrators said this will erode the separation of powers as most new judges are likely to be sympathizers of the ruling Morena Party, and thus go along with any presidential executive order or laws passed by the Morena-controlled Congress.

The protest comes two days after President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly said she would not negotiate with those opposed to the amendment and called on judicial workers to accept the new reality.

The Mexican government “is trying to make people abroad believe that all is well with judicial reform, but it is not. That is why we are here,” said demonstrator Diana Hernandez. “We understand people in Juarez may be upset (with the protest), but we want to be heard.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed at 10:52 a.m. the protest at Bridge of the Americas had been lifted.

“There was a temporary disruption to arriving/northbound passenger vehicle and pedestrian traffic during the protest. CBP’s Office of Field Operations deployed it’s mobile field force and enacted port-hardening measures as a precautionary step,” CBP said in an email to Border Report. “Members of the traveling public can monitor current port of entry conditions/crossing times at the CBP website or by viewing multiple camera systems that broadcast live images of port conditions.”

(ProVideo in Juarez, Mexico, contributed to this report.)

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