(WXYZ) — President Joe Biden and the White House are monitoring the situation involving the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge that has shut down the bridge.
Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing on Wednesday that the White House is working with Canadian officials, the Department of Homeland Security, the State of Michigan and others.
"We are watching this very closely," Psaki said of the blockade.
Related: Day Three: The Ambassador Bridge on the U.S. side remains closed, backups at Blue Water Bridge
The blockade started Monday by truckers protesting vaccine mandates and other COVID-19-related restrictions in Canada. It's on the Canadian side of the bridge, but officials did shut down traffic to Canada from the United States.
That has left truckers stranded on the side of the highway, unable to get across, and many heading to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron to cross, despite hours-long backups.
According to Psaki, Homeland Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall convened a meeting on Wednesday to talk more about the blockade.
The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest point of entry between the U.S. and Canada.
The White House has also engaged auto companies on what the impacts could be for auto parts and the impact on the United States, according to Psaki.
"The blockade poses a risk to supply chains for the auto industry because the bridge is a key conduit for motor vehicles components and parts," she said.
They are also tracking the impact of agricultural exports from Michigan into Canada, she said.
"The president is focused on this and we are working very closely with the team at DHS," Psaki said.
Psaki also mentioned the blockade causing problems from workers who use the bridge to get across the border. Many of those people have been re-routed to using the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
