Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs meets with Mayorkas in DC to discuss border security

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs traveled to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday and met with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to express what she wants to see at the southern border.

Hobbs focused on the need for more help from the federal government during the meeting, according to communications director Christian Slater.

“The governor emphasized, as she has repeatedly since she became governor, the need for additional support from the federal government to help keep our borders secure and ensure that the immigration process is humane, orderly and safe,” Slater told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday.

How often have Hobbs and Mayorkas discussed security at the southern border?

Hobbs and Mayorkas have met on multiple occasions since the Democrat took office at the start of the year.

Hobbs, a Democrat, first mentioned that she was inviting Mayorkas for a first-hand look at Arizona’s southern border during her State of the State address on Jan. 9.

In March, Mayorkas took Hobbs up on that offer and joined her for a tour of the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales.

Mayorkas, during that meeting, said it was on Congress to “address what is fundamentally a broken immigration system.”

Six months later, Hobbs is seeking the same solutions, per Slater.

“[More help from the federal government] is a consistent message of the governor since day one of her administration and she continues to be an advocate on behalf of Arizona,” Slater said.

“We want to ensure that we have a secure border and that the federal government is playing its proper role in border security.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Brandon King contributed to this report.

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