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Customs warns of holiday traffic at border combined with increased wait times due to sequestration

Posted 3/28/13

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says that, in addition to extra holiday weekend traffic, the sequestration of federal spending could increase wait times at North Country border crossings this …

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Customs warns of holiday traffic at border combined with increased wait times due to sequestration

Posted

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says that, in addition to extra holiday weekend traffic, the sequestration of federal spending could increase wait times at North Country border crossings this weekend.

“CBP continues to experience longer wait times than usual due to sequestration, and is working to minimize these impacts, while maintaining the highest standards of security,” an announcement from the CBP office in Alexandria Bay said.

The federal government is operating under restricted spending provisions imposed by an agreement between the two houses of Congress and signed by the president that is intended to cut government spending. This has put constraints on the operations of many government agencies.

CBP Field Operations wants Easter weekend travelers to be prepared with the proper documents so their wait will not be extended as they arrive in the United States.

Travelers can get news about local border traffic conditions in advance by visiting the CBP website at www.cbp.gov. Wait time information is updated hourly and is useful in identifying periods of light traffic and short waits, according to the announcement.

The web site also contains information on how to obtain identifying documents of various kinds that can make entering the United States easier.