Here’s what Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema had to say on Title 42 and Ducey’s shipping container wall

PHOENIX — Turbulence at the southern border is one of the hot-button topics in Arizona and it’s one U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema says is at the top of her mind.

Sinema joined KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Gaydos and Chad Show on Friday to discuss the impending end to Title 42, her immigration efforts with the Biden administration and her thoughts on Gov. Doug Ducey’s shipping container wall.

Here’s what she had to say:

Q: Does Biden just want to open up the border?

A: The current situation on the border is an unmitigated crisis. We know that everyone in Arizona understands that the numbers of individuals crossing into our country right now through Arizona’s ports and outside the ports is overwhelming. We do not have the ability to sustain these numbers. So, in addition to it being a security crisis and just overwhelming and taxing our border towns, it’s also really dangerous for those migrants.

This is a humanitarian crisis for those individuals as well. That’s why I’ve been really harassing the administration for so many months to hold them accountable for these failures. Some of the work that has been done in recent months, DHS has tried to alleviate some of these concerns, but without much effect. And as you guys know, with the pending end of Title 42 this crisis goes from a pretty bad level to an astronomical level.

Q: Do you feel like [the Biden administration] is interested in knowing more about the problem from somebody like you who hears it from your constituents pretty regularly?

A: No, but it won’t surprise you that I share the information with them anyway. I have a lot of unsolicited advice to offer and the reason is because this is our lived experience, right? As Arizonans, this has been our whole life.

I tell folks the border has been a crisis for the last 40 years and government after government after government has failed to address this in an appropriate manner. So I’m going to keep talking to every administration regardless of political party so that they understand what actually needs to be done from a practical perspective to solve this crisis.

Q: Do you like Ducey’s shipping containers?

A: I’m not sure that’s particularly useful to be honest. What I hear from our Border Patrol … is they need more resources. They need a raise, they’re having trouble with retention, they’re having problems keeping and hiring folks. They tell me they need more boots on the ground. They tell me they need new vehicles, they need body armor and cameras. They need technology.

What I want to do is provide our Border Patrol men and women the resources they tell me they need because nobody knows what’s needed on the border to secure our community better than them.

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