Sen. Mark Kelly says he understands Arizona Gov. Ducey’s initiative to close border wall gaps

PHOENIX —  U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona says he gets why Gov. Doug Ducey is filling in gaps at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“I understand the governor’s sentiment on this and why he wanted to do that,” Kelly, a Democrat running for reelection in November, said Wednesday during a media availability in Phoenix.

“There’s a crisis at the border and it’s important to address it.”

Ducey, a Republican, issued an executive order Friday to fill out nearly a quarter-mile of gaps in the border wall on federal land near Yuma.

Kelly has pressed the Biden administration to close gaps at the U.S.-Mexico border, calling them a challenge for officials trying to secure the border.

Ducey’s office attributed the move in part to the Biden administration’s decision last week to end the “Remain in Mexico” policy, the Trump-era action requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.

“Yeah, [Ducey’s] taking some additional steps as well,” Kelly said.

Construction on about 1,000 feet of gaps began Friday and were completed by Monday. Ducey touted more finished work Wednesday.

The new wall installation consists of 60 double stacked containers that are welded shut and topped with 4 feet of razor wire. Each are 22 feet tall and weigh 8,800 pounds.

The stretches were funded with $6 million from the fiscal year 2023 state budget.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak contributed to this report.

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