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Border Trade Alliance Warns of Disruptions From Government Shutdown

The Border Trade Alliance urged House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in a Feb. 26 letter, to work with his congressional colleagues to prevent a lapse in appropriations for federal agencies in early March, saying a government shutdown would “exacerbate an already precarious situation at the U.S. southern border.”

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A shutdown and the resulting furloughs would risk “severe disruptions to the processing of goods -- including perishable fresh fruits and vegetables -- and substantial economic losses for businesses on both sides of the border,” the letter says.

A shutdown also would require CBP agents to work without pay, which would hurt morale, recruitment and retention at agencies that are already under "severe strain," the alliance wrote.