ARIZONA NEWS

Sen. Sinema talks new border bill, re-election on CBS’s ‘Face the Nation’ on Sunday

Feb 4, 2024, 12:03 PM | Updated: 12:23 pm

PHOENIX — U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) was on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday to discuss the contents of an bipartisan border security deal she has been working on with senators James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).

She said the target of the bill is to require an end to catch and release for migrants who come to the border seeking asylum and would allow the government to shut down the border at 4,000 crossings per day, instead of 5,000 a day, the total in which it currently sits.

“Our law actually requires the administration to implement these tools,” Sinema told host Margaret Brennan on Sunday. “So we’ve placed provisions in the law that mandate the enforcement of each of these provisions of our law, and require the Biden administration and any future administration to actually implement this. So we’re requiring it, not permitting it. And that’s a key difference from existing immigration law.”

Sinema explained that some asylum-seekers could wait “five, seven, 10 years” with catch and release before seeing a judge to hear their case. She said the trio’s plan offers two solutions to catch and release.

“First, short term detention, which means we take them into custody, and we actually do an interview right then and there to determine if they meet the standard for asylum,” Sinema said. “For individuals who do not meet that standard, which by the way, Margaret, is most of the migrants who are coming to our country right now, they’ll be swiftly returned to their home country.

“For folks that we can’t detain, like families, for instance, we’ll ensure that we’re supervising them over the course of just three months, and conduct that interview with that new higher standard, requiring them to show more proof early on about whether or not they qualify for asylum and return them to their country,” she continued. “If they do not have the evidence or the proof that they qualify for asylum.”

Economic migrants and the “American Dream”

Sinema decried “economic migrants” who she described as “individuals who want to come to America just to get a better life or to seek the American dream, to find work.”

“They are not permitted to enter the country whenever they would like, and our new law will ensure that they can’t get into the country, that they won’t get that notice to appear, they will not be allowed in through the border ports of entry, or between ports of entry … they will be turned away and sent back to their home countries,” Sinema said. “Because they currently are exploiting the asylum system that’s being really managed by the cartels. We’re ending that system. We’re ending that loophole and ensuring that they cannot enter through that manner.”

Is Sinema going to seek re-election?

Sinema faces a looming deadline of April 8 to gather 40,000 signatures to secure her place on the November 2024 ballot.

Once again, however, Sinema made no indication as to whether she has made a decision regarding November.

“I think that the endless questions about politics and elections are really exhausting, and it’s what makes Americans really hate politics,” Sinema said Sunday. “What I’ve committed to my constituents is to stay laser focused on the policy, on actually solving real problems. And that’s what I’ve shown that I do and the work that I do in the United States Senate. And it’s what I’ll stay focused on in the coming weeks as we seek to pass this legislation and make a real difference for the lives of Arizonans.

“Each time I visit border communities in my state, and I hear from folks, whether it’s in Bisbee, or Yuma or down in Lukeville, they’re not asking about elections. They’re asking about their everyday lives, because this crisis faces us every single day. It’s not just a television show for us. It’s our daily lives.”

However, according to the Wall-Street Journal on Saturday, the first-term senator hasn’t been soliciting past donors for money and has canceled fundraisers over the last several months. The news source states the former Democrat raised just $600,000 last quarter. But thanks to a healthy war chest north of $10 million, “most political strategists say she could easily begin raising big money if she decides to run.”

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

The evacuation order for the Brady Fire was lifte on Wednesday....

KTAR.com

Evacuation order lifted for residents near Brady Fire south of Prescott

The evacuation order for a community threatened by the Brady Fire south of Prescott was lifted on Wednesday evening, authorities said.

1 hour ago

off-road vehicle crash...

Kevin Stone

2nd teen in off-road vehicle crash at Phoenix canal has died

The second teen involved in an off-road vehicle crash at a Phoenix canal last week has died, authorities announced Wednesday.

2 hours ago

Two men were injured on Wednesday night when a suspect opened fire at a group of unsheltered people...

Kevin Stone

Suspect opens fire at unsheltered people at Tempe park, injuring 3

Three people were injured on Wednesday night when a suspect opened fire at a group of unsheltered people in Tempe, authorities said.

2 hours ago

A confiscated firearm is seen sitting on a table at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Feb...

Serena O'Sullivan

Phoenix Sky Harbor hopes to cut down on amount of firearms in security checkpoints this year

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport officials are trying to educate passengers on how to at properly travel with firearms.

4 hours ago

The Phoenix Zoo announced a new habitat 'Big Cats of Arizona: A Bridge to Arizona Wilderness' will ...

Bailey Leasure

Big cats of Arizona habitat set to open at Phoenix Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo announced a new habitat 'Big Cats of Arizona: A Bridge to Arizona Wilderness' will be opening at the zoo in April. 

4 hours ago

I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project...

Danny Shapiro

New lanes open to motorists as part of I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project

The I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project is one step closer to completion after new lanes on the highway recently opened, transportation officials announced Wednesday.

4 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Join us for the 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade

The 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe returns on Saturday, December 28, at 10 a.m.

...

The UPS Store

How The UPS Store is giving back to the community

PHOENIX -- As 2024 nears a close, The UPS Store is looking to give back to the Arizona community with the holiday season approaching.

...

Schwartz Laser Eye Center

Don’t miss the action with this game-changing procedure

PHOENIX -- The clear lens exchange procedure has emerged as a popular alternative to LASIK eye surgery.

Sen. Sinema talks new border bill, re-election on CBS’s ‘Face the Nation’ on Sunday