There have been some lawmakers in Washington D.C. that suggest closing the border would help contain the swine flue. But Thursday, President Barack Obama administration officials echoed what he told a national audience on Wednesday. Vice President Joe Biden said that idea would not be practical because the swine flu has already spread to the U.S. and several other nations. And acting chief for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Richard Besser appearing on ABC News, added that shutting a the border would have negative consequences. Besser also discounts the effectiveness of using thermal sensors to detect people who might be sick.

At the Santa Fe Port of Entry in downtown El Paso, where thousands of Juarez residents come through everyday, they cross in order to go to work, to attend school, or maybe do some shopping. One University of Texas at El Paso student who lives in Juarez and comes to school during the week said her educational pursuit would suffer. "There are students still going to school and they need to worry about their education right now," said Samantha Edwards. "It is becoming a dangerous thing but there's no possible way to close it really. Edwards also said Mexico's economy would be injured further. "The people in Mexico, I think, it would be harder for them because obviously they don't make as much money as the people over here," said Edwards. "They make [money] it in pesos and we make it in dollars, so it would be hard for them to make a living."

For now, on top of screening passports, customs agents are monitoring travelers for flu-like symptoms. If someone does show signs of flu and tries to cross, customs officers will pull them aside, and call health officials. Here in El Paso, there have 8 suspected cases. They have been referred to the CDC.