US Rep. Stanton believes better policy key to ending border crisis

PHOENIX — A visit to southern Arizona on Monday strengthened U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton’s belief that getting policy right will be the key to ending the humanitarian crisis at the border.

Stanton, who visited Tucson and Nogales, said better policy will help expedite the process of people seeking political asylum.

“I think it is a humanitarian crisis at the border and one we need to provide more support and resources at to better manage,” Stanton told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday.

Stanton believes the policy answer is to send more border personnel south, whether it be agents or judges to help with those seeking asylum who he said are waiting “up to 10 weeks.”

Right now, though, that’s not happening and it has caused a chain reaction of problems at the border.

Nogales mayor Arturo Garino said last week that his city has made $140,000 less at this point than a year ago, which he believes is a direct effect of President Donald Trump moving border agents away from ports of entry.

Garino said that wait times to cross the border have been 4-5 hours.

Stanton, who said $7 million a day in economic activity happens at the border, visited the Port of Nogales on Monday.

“Getting border policy right is important not just from the perspective of stopping illicit drugs from entering our country,” Stanton said. “We also want the legal activity, including trade and food, to be able to cross as quickly as possible.”

There has been no indication policy change will happen at the border any time soon, but Stanton said he’s willing to work across the aisle to ensure change.

“I stay open minded to work with anyone who’s of good faith of either political party to do what’s right for the American people,” Stanton said.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Ali Vetnar contributed to this report.

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