Senator examined how the modernization funding she secured for Arizona Ports from her bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law will help secure the border and strengthen economic opportunity
SAN DIEGO – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema toured the San Ysidro Port of Entry in her role as Chair of the Senate’s Border Management Subcommittee to see firsthand how port modernization helps secure the border while facilitating more efficient trade and travel between the U.S. and Mexico. Sinema’s bipartisan infrastructure law includes funding for future port modernization projects which will help increase the efficiency of Arizona’s cross border trade and keep Arizona communities safe.
The busiest land border crossing in the Western Hemisphere, the recently reconfigured San Ysidro Port of Entry provides a roadmap for the future modernization of Arizona’s land ports of entry. Sinema’s tour focused on ensuring effective implementation of the $3.85 billion from her bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law provides for port modernization projects, including full funding of Arizona’s Douglas and San Luis Land Ports of Entry.
“I am glad to see firsthand how much port modernization improves cross-border trade to help ease inflation while keeping our communities safe. I prioritized investments in our land ports of entry in the bipartisan infrastructure law to improve cross-border trade, support jobs, lower costs for consumers, and tackle our supply chain issues. As we work to implement these critical investments, I’ll use the information we learned today about San Ysidro’s successful port modernization to advocate for Arizona Ports,” said Sinema, Chair of the Border Management Subcommittee and co-author of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law.
In 2019, the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry was reconstructed and reconfigured to accommodate the anticipated growth of border crossings on top of the roughly 70,000 northbound vehicle passengers and 20,000 northbound pedestrians processed per day. The modernization of the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry significantly reduced illegal entries, increased processing capacity, and strengthened economic opportunity, serving as a model for how to replicate similar efficiencies at ports of entry in Arizona and across the country.
Sinema’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law provides once-in-a-generation funds of $3.85 billion for 26 separate port modernization projects, including full funding for the modernization of Arizona’s Douglas and San Luis Land Ports of Entry. The historic investments allow for more efficient cross-border trade, supporting Arizona jobs and allowing Customs and Border Protection to better detect and stop criminal behavior.
Earlier this year, Sinema introduced the Border Patrol Pay Security Act – bipartisan legislation that ensures Border Patrol agents are treated fairly regarding overtime pay, bringing the Border Patrol pay system into line with other federal law enforcement agencies. The Border Patrol Pay Security Act will help address recruitment and retention challenges in the Border Patrol and improve border security.
In February, Sinema toured Southern Arizona and held a roundtable discussion with the Border Patrol Council in Yuma to hear directly from frontline agents working to protect Arizona communities and mitigate the ongoing border crisis.
Click HERE to learn more about how the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law impacts Land Ports of Entry.