Details being worked out for Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas’ Arizona border visit, Gov. Hobbs says

PHONEIX — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs invited U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to see the border first-hand during her State of the State address on Jan. 9.

Hobbs told reporters on Friday that details for his visit are being worked out with Mayorkas’ office.

“We talked about what I’m hearing from local leaders and what some of their issues are,” Hobbs said. “So there’s a potential that we’re going to jump on a meeting with those leaders before he comes out here.”

Mayorkas visited the border at McAllen, Texas, last May to tour a remodeled processing center.

Hobbs has advocated for local community cooperation when it comes to border issues, and her First 100 Days Initiative plans to provide greater funding to law enforcement and medical resources in border towns. She has also called for Congress to pass immigration reform legislation.

On Friday she once again criticized former Gov. Doug Ducey’s temporary shipping container sections of the border wall, noting the state has to find new uses for the vessels which have been removed.

“We need to utilize state resources where they can be most effective, and it’s really unfortunate that almost $200 million was spent on this shipping container publicity stunt,” Hobbs said.

“We’re looking for ways to creatively repurpose the shipping containers that have been purchased by the taxpayers of Arizona and how we can work with local communities to address their needs, get federal dollars quickly and to address some of the issues.”

Hobbs said she has been in contact with the White House and others in Washington about getting visitors to the border.

Vice President Kamala Harris visited Arizona on Thursday alongside Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, but they did not see the border. They attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the Ten West Link transmission line in Tonopah to address clean energy.

Joe Biden made his first visit to the southern border as president earlier this month when he got a firsthand look at the situation in El Paso, Texas.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Taylor Tasler contributed to this report.

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