
(Deming) – The extension of the border zone in New Mexico for Border Crossing Card holders is now effective.
Border Crossing Card holders can now travel up to 55 miles in southern New Mexico without obtaining a Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record.
That means Mexican nationals who have undergone background, fingerprint and security checks may receive Border Crossing Cards that permit them to travel to Deming.
Previously, Border Crossing Card holders had a 25-mile restriction, which did not allow them to travel to Deming.
U. S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Thomas Winkowski said increasing the border zone in New Mexico will allow his department to better allocate resources by reducing unnecessary paperwork burdens associated with the Form I-94 process.
Senator Tom Udall said extending the border commercial zone to include additional communities of Deming, Las Cruces and Lordsburg is a key boost to the economies of those southern New Mexico communities. He said businesses have sought the rule change for years to put New Mexico on a level playing field with other border states.
Arizona, for example, has had a 75-mile border commercial zone since 1999.