Efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, prevent terrorism and spot a growing number of drug loads are slowing business down at a time when the Juárez maquiladora industry is booming.

Manufacturing officials and truckers on both borders have reported wait times of up to three hours for cars and three to five hours for commercial trucks. Some shipments have been stuck in Mexico because trucks were still in line by the time the cargo facility closed, a disaster for just-in-time deliveries that are the bread and butter of the region.