Opponents of opening the border to Mexican trucks believe the need for tighter security following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will help them keep Mexican trucks out of the U.S.

A spokesman for the White House recently said that President Bush hasn't changed his position on allowing Mexican trucks into the country beyond a narrow commercial zone as called for in the long-delayed terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement. But the terrorist attacks have delayed work on Capitol Hill in hammering out a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the transportation appropriations bill, both of which deal with the border issue. Bush has threatened to veto any bill that delays the border opening.
One of the main opponents of opening the border, the Teamsters union, says the tragic events will bring greater attention to the issue of trucks coming into this country without thorough inspections.
Jackie Gillan, vice president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, told the Associated Press, "in light of what happened Sept. 11, it seems even more foolhardy" to let Mexican companies operate in this country for up to 18 months before they undergo a safety audit, as called for in the Bush plan to open the border at the first of 2002.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said tighter restrictions on Mexican trucks "will be a companion" to more thorough checks being done by immigration and customs officials following Sept. 11.
Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, however, scoffs at the notion that the issues should be interrelated. Gramm, who favor's Bush's plan to open the border, told the AP, "This has nothing to do with security. Anyone who tries to tie these two together is engaged in piracy, and is profiting from misery."