El Paso County Courthouse Closed Leading Up to Biden Inauguration

If you have business to conduct at the El Paso County Courthouse this week you won’t be able to cross it off your to-do list until Thursday, at the earliest.

County Judge Ricardo Samaniego has ordered the courthouse closed on both the day before and on the day of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. His action is in response to the FBI warning law enforcement agencies across the U.S. of reports of planned “attacks” on federal buildings and court houses.

While there have not been any specific threats made regarding the El Paso County Courthouse, according to the news release, Samaniego would rather err on the side of safety. As a result, the courthouse will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 19-20. With the weekend and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday factored in, the courthouse will be closed to the public for a five-day stretch. Normal operations will resume Thursday.

On Friday, the FBI El Paso Division released a statement on the safety measures being taken locally. Special Agent in Charge Luis Quesada said the department has not received any threats to the El Paso area but continues to be on alert. “Between now and the presidential inauguration on January 20, we will be maintaining a heightened posture to monitor for any emerging threats to the region,” Quesada wrote.