Sinema Tours Southern Border, Meets with Customs and Border Protection Officials

Apr 16, 2019

Senator committed to securing Arizona’s border, increasing staffing at Arizona’s ports of entry, & keeping Arizona families safe

NOGALES – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema toured Arizona’s southern border and met with Customs and Border Protection officials to discuss the challenges they face and ways Congress can help secure the border, keep Arizona families safe, and quickly process migrants seeking asylum.

“Arizonans bear the brunt of Washington’s failure to secure the border. Today’s events offered me valuable insight and I’ll keep working across the aisle to secure our border and keep Arizona families safe,” said Sinema, a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

During her first-hand look at Arizona’s southern border, Sinema toured the Mariposa Crossing, DeConcini Crossing, the Nogales Border Patrol Station, and the Nogales Line and Tunnel. Sinema also met with the Fresh Produce Association and listened to their concerns, including the need to cut down on delays at Arizona’s ports of entry that hurt Arizona’s economy. 

Sinema recently called attention to the serious security, economic, and humanitarian consequences the critical situation at the southwest border has for Arizona. Earlier this month, Sinema penned a letter to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency raising concerns over the agency’s decision to remove officers from Arizona’s ports of entry—a move that could seriously jeopardize the security and operations at our ports of entry. Sinema additionally wrote to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security calling for additional resources and support to be sent to the Arizona border.