Small businesses within 25 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border could get up to $500,000 in COVID-19 relief under a bill introduced Thursday by Rep. Raúl Grijalva.

If the Border Business COVID-19 Rescue Act becomes law, small businesses would be eligible for $10,000 grants or up to $500,000 in loans.

The money would be dispersed through the Small Business Administration’s Emergency Injury Disaster Loan Program.

Grijalva, D-Ariz., decided to focus on businesses near the border after looking at the distribution of the Paycheck Protection Program funds.

“It’s clear that many minority-owned businesses were some of the last to get relief — if at all,” Grijalva told The Arizona Republic in an emailed statement. “Simultaneously, much of the Paycheck Protection Program funds went to larger businesses.”

Grijalva, who represents a border congressional district, said he crafted the legislation with his constituents in mind.

“My office has heard of the devastating consequences of the border closures on those businesses in the immediate vicinity of the border such as restaurants and retail stores,” he said.

The border with Mexico has been closed for many months, causing many small businesses along the border to reel from the loss of customers.

“Many of the Mexican citizens used to come across the border to do a lot of essential shopping,” Ruben Walshe said.

Walshe owns two restaurants, La Bodega and La Concha, in San Luis.

“I want to say 80% of the people across the border they come and do some sort of shopping over here on the U.S. side,” he said.

His first restaurant, La Bodega, usually was filled with the sounds of karaoke on Thursday nights, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The professional musicians would take over the rustic restaurant and bar on Friday nights.

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Source: Arizona Republic – Jan 22, 2021
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