Arizona senators pressed the Administration to reopen the Port and reimburse Arizona for shouldering the border crisis
Arizona’s economy and border security have suffered since the Port closed in early December
WASHINGTON – Arizona Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly issued the following statement on the reopening of the Lukeville Port of Entry and the Morley Gate in Nogales:
“Following our calls, we’re relieved that the Lukeville Port of Entry and Morley Gate are reopening – but in Arizona, we continue to experience the devastating effects of this unacceptable closure and our broken border system.
“Arizona’s border communities are in crisis – and closing Lukeville and redirecting port officers to help U.S. Border Patrol process migrants due to a broken border system further destabilized our border and disrupted trade and tourism our economy depends on.
“While reopening these border crossings is critical, it doesn’t solve our broken border and immigration system. The longer Congress and the Administration fail to adequately respond, the more we risk future closures and disruptions. We’re renewing our call for both sides to reject the echo chamber and work with us to make meaningful progress, secure our border, and keep our communities safe,” said Senators Sinema and Kelly.
On December 4, 2023, U.S. Customs and Border indefinitely closed the Lukeville Port of Entry – a critical port for Arizona’s economy that supports jobs, trade, tourism, and small businesses – to shift resources to other parts of the border to address the growing border crisis. Recent reports found that December broke records for the month with the most migrant encounters recorded, with over 300,000 migrants processed at the southwest border last month alone.
One month later, the Port’s closure has overwhelmed other parts of the border, hurting Arizona small businesses, and negatively impacting tourism in the area.
Last month, Sinema and Kelly urged the Administration to reassign National Guard members to help reopen the Lukeville Port of Entry and reimburse Arizona for the costs it incurs shouldering the burden of the border crisis.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that both Lukeville and Morley Gate will reopen on Thursday, January 4th.
Sinema is a member of the bipartisan group working on real solutions to solving the border crisis in the U.S. Senate.