FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 5, 2023
PHOENIX – Rep. Mariana Sandoval, whose district covers much of Arizona's southern border, called on the federal government to reopen the Lukeville port of entry in her district, which has been temporarily shut by United States Customs and Border Protection due to an influx of migrants seeking asylum. The closure is already having a negative economic impact on border communities, and this impacts entire state.Â
 "If we can’t get the produce across the border the entire country will be affected. The Administration needs to redirect staffing to this port and reopen Lukeville immediately," Sandoval said. "The federal government has significant resources and capabilities, and it should divert those resources from other regions -- and from other states, if necessary -- to handle this temporary influx before it causes permanent economic damage to our Tribal, border communities and state. I am hearing from constituents and border communities nonstop because they are unable to travel to see doctors, family, or do business. The impact on tourism could be devastating as well because a lot of these border communities depend on the foot traffic to survive economically. This decision was not well thought out and does not take into account how important legal cross-border traffic is to the lives and livelihoods of all Arizonans." Â
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