Waits of up to eight hours to renew expedited border crossing passes have prompted federal officials to require people to make appointments starting today. KPBS Reporter Amy Isackson has details.
Twenty-five-thousand people must renew their expedited border crossing, or Sentri passes, before the end of June. Federal officials had placed the renewal process on hold for a few months while they revamped it. The suspension created the massive backlog.
Adel Fasano directs field operations for the San Ysidro and Otay Ports of Entry. She says when they reopened the renewal process, they decided it would be most convenient to handle appointments on a walk-in basis. But she says they quickly changed their minds.
Fasano: "Eight-thousand people showed up at the enrollment center in the last two weeks, which is about five times the normal rate, so we knew we had to make some adjustments.
Fasano says the Sentri office will be open everyday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. She hopes they'll be able to clear the backlog by June. Amy Isackson, KPBS News.
