Gov. Doug Ducey explains his support for Trump’s national emergency

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said he supports President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border in order to obtain funding for a wall.

“I’m supportive of border security, and I’ve said we’ve got parts of Arizona where it’s wide open and unprotected,” he told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Mac & Gaydos on Tuesday.

“I just think that this is something that should be addressed. We’ve been talking about this since 2007.”

Ducey said border security has become a “political football,” and Congress is not making any progress on it.

Arizona has watched for decades as Washington has failed to prioritize border security. It’s unfortunate it has come to this rather than Congress doing its job. But action is needed. I support President Trump’s plan to secure our border.

— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) February 16, 2019

“So the president is making this move to address this issue. As a border governor, I want to see this issue addressed,” he said.

Ducey said physical barriers are important to putting a halt to drugs coming into Arizona, both through ports of entry and in less secure locations.

“The drugs come in at the port of entry. We had the largest fentanyl bust in the history of the United States in a port of entry in Arizona,” he said.

“They also come across the border. … What you don’t know are the people that you don’t apprehend at the border.”

He said states have done all they can do.

“It’s time for Congress and the federal government to address this,” he said.

“We’ve been able to do what we can do as governors by putting the Border Strike Force down there, but I do think the federal government should act on this.”

Ultimately, he said, “this will be played out in the courts.”