NOGALES — To alleviate wait times for Mexican tourists during the Easter holidays, Customs and Border Protection is opening a temporary office to process I-94 permits at the Mariposa Port of Entry.
The permits, which cost $6, allow someone with a border-crosser card to venture farther than the 25 miles allowed for crossers going through San Luis and Lukeville, and the 75 miles permitted for crossers at Nogales, Sasabe, Naco or Douglas.
Arizona is unique in allowing border-crosser cardholders to travel up to 75 miles into the United States without a permit, which lets Mexican tourists visit and shop in Tucson.
A 2008 University of Arizona study found Mexican visitors spent almost $1 billion a year in the Tucson metro area and $7.3 million a day throughout the state.
“The visitors from Mexico are very important to the United States, they’re very important to the state of Arizona and they’re very important to CBP,” said Joe Agosttini, assistant port director.
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Agosttini added that even if tourists are only planning to visit Tucson, they should consider getting an I-94 in case they want to keep traveling.
“If they want to go ahead to Phoenix or Sedona, to Los Angeles or San Diego, they can do so without worry,” he said.
Traditionally, Holy Week in Mexico coincides with the first week of spring break for students. This year, the last day before break is March 27, with classes resuming on April 13.
During this period, officials said, traffic at the ports more than doubles. While not all of the additional visitors need I-94 permits, the increased traffic usually means longer wait times.
This is the first year of operation for the temporary permit office. It is part of the expansion of the Mariposa port that was officially inaugurated in October.
Before the expansion, people would have to pay to park at a nearby gas station and walk back about a quarter-mile to the permit area.
I-94 permits will continue to be given at the DeConcini Port of Entry, but officials said the downtown port mostly caters to the local community, while Mariposa is connected to Mexican Highway 15.
“The traveling public that we get here are people who live further down south,” said Marcia Armendariz of CBP. “We have people from Obregon, from Hermosillo, from Sinaloa, sometimes all the way from Guadalajara.”
The temporary office will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends through March 29 and everyday from March 30 through April 4.
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