Arizona’s Sinema says Lukeville Port of Entry closure ‘unacceptable,’ unsure when it will reopen
Dec 8, 2023, 4:35 AM | Updated: 6:47 am
PHOENIX — The Lukeville Port of Entry at the southern border has been closed for five days with no end in sight, a situation U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona says is “unacceptable.”
“It’s not okay for Arizona’s families. It’s not good for tourism. It’s not good for business,” Sinema told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Gaydos and Chad Show on Thursday.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have been shifting staffing to deal with a surge of illegal crossings.
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The border crossing, used for travel between the Phoenix area and Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), was closed as of Monday.
Sinema said she’s unsure when the port of entry could be reopened.
“We have gotten no sufficient answers from the United States government about when they’re going to reopen the port and that is why I continue to work feverishly on the solution,” Sinema said.
What does Sinema believes needs to happen for the Lukeville Port of Entry to reopen?
The independent senator said she’s spoken with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other leaders about how to fix the problem.
Slowing illegal crossings is the obvious solution, but Sinema believes getting the Mexican government involved can help with progress.
Policy change is what’s needed for long-term answers, according to Sinema.
“The American government should be making decisions about who enters our country and when but right now, it’s the Sinaloa cartel that makes those decisions and that is not OK,” Sinema said.
“That is dangerous for our country.”
