EL PASO, Texas -- Thousands trying to get their passports are told the passport office at the El Paso County Courthouse is closed due to swine flu, but KFOX finds out that's not really the case.

The rush to get a passport is because after June 1, if you are a U.S. citizen and you want to cross from Mexico into the U.S., you'll need a passport.

District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez told KFOX on Wednesday that nearly everyone who is anyone at the County Courthouse complained about the long lines and stuffy air outside of the passport office on Tuesday. They worried the area could become a hot bed to spread swine flu.

So he responded and despite so many needing to get passports, he closed the doors.

"When we first announced the closing of the passports, it sent out shock waves throughout the county," said Sanchez.

Despite being officially closed, those who showed up got their passport applications in.

"We were right out here, and we saw the signs at the door, and then we just went back to the house. And then today we came over and we saw the signs again, but I told my sister, 'You know what, lets go down there and see if they are open.' And it was open," said Marcos Chavez from Downtown El Paso.

Chavez came to the courthouse on Wednesday for his nephews Mario and Minyer.

"I was worried because my nephews they go to Juarez every weekend, so we need to get them their passport," Chavez told KFOX.

Despite waiting for more than two hours, he got their applications in. Thousands of others lost out on the chance to do the same and the county lost out on potentially thousands of dollars in revenue.

"In three days, we made $20,000 for the county. That money goes directly into the county coffers," said Sanchez. "That's a good amount of money for the county and right now with the county being strapped as it is, every penny counts."

Sanchez said the office will be open on Thursday, and beginning Monday they will open up a courtyard near the office for people to sit and wait for their application to be processed.

And for the June 1 deadline, KFOX contacted Rep. Silvestre Reyes and he said as far as he knows, that will not be pushed back.