A Transportation Department report to be presented to Congress today says the DOT “fully expects to be in a position this summer to certify to the president that the border can be opened.”

The report was obtained by the Associated Press says there are still some areas that need work, but the DOT’s inspector general believes they can be addressed by midsummer. Among the shortfalls: more inspectors still need to be hired, more inspection sites need to be built, inspectors need better electronic access to U.S. and Mexican databases, and the safety monitoring system for Mexican carriers is not finished.
The report also urges Congress to push Texas and New Mexico to pass laws letting state officers take action against unauthorized Mexican drivers found in the states, according to the Associated Press.
The AP also says the report shows that Mexican trucks will not flood across the border when it is opened later this year. So far, only 20 Mexican carriers have sought applications for permission to drive beyond the commercial zones at the border.
Meanwhile, Texas officials say they’re ready for Mexican trucks. Lt. Mario Salinas, a Department of Public Safety officer who oversees commercial inspections operations, told the AP, “We’re ready.” Texas has seven of the 10 busiest border crossing points. It has put weigh-in-motion scales at five border points, and additional civilian inspectors and DPS border troopers are in place.