Since January 20, 2021, one of the points for which the Biden Administration has been most reprimanded is the border issue. The management of Joe Biden and his cabinet has not only received criticism from the Republican Party and citizens, it has also come from within their own ranks. In recent weeks, the Governor of Arizona, Katie Hobbs, has judged the president's actions by the uncontrollable border crisis that the Government is unable to mitigate and that is causing great havoc in her state.
Before traveling with the head of the National Guard to the border port of Lukeville, Hobbs issued a public letter to the president demanding that he return more than $512 million to Arizona´s coffers for "federal border inaction":
The federal government must act immediately to solve the unmitigated crisis caused by the Lukeville Port of Entry closure.
Today, I sent a letter to President Biden calling on him to reassign National Guard members to assist in its reopening, as well as reimburse the… pic.twitter.com/JYmiBLvi6k
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) December 8, 2023
New state resources
The governor added that the Biden Administration's border inaction "has put Arizona's security and commerce at risk." The serious situation in his state has led Hobbs to implement Operation SECURE, a measure that "will create a new Border Security Office within the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate operations."
It will also serve to "mobilize additional state resources to the border," including "five million dollars for the National Guard to support law agencies along the border if the Biden Administration continues its failure to maintain a secure and orderly border."
I swore to do everything possible to keep our communities safe when I took office. Today, I’m making good on that promise by announcing Operation SECURE to mobilize additional state resources to the border.
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) December 9, 2023
Bipartisan alliance to call for the reopening of Lukeville
The considerable increase in the number of crossings, encounters and arrests of illegal immigrants in Lukeville led the Biden Administration to make the decision to close the border port, affecting tourism, an important source of income for the state.
Hobbs denounced this federal initiative with the support of independent Senator, Kyrsten Sinema, and Democrat Mark Kelly, in addition to having the support of state legislators from both the Democratic and Republican Parties. Apart from demanding more effective measures to fight the migration crisis, they also demand the reopening of the border port. A request that Republican representatives Juan Ciscomani and Greg Stanton joined so that it does not affect families and the state economy:
The closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry hurts trade & tourism. The Biden administration’s failures at our border should not impact cross-border trade or Arizona families as they travel. @RepGregStanton and I are demanding a timeline for the reopening.
READ MORE ⬇️…
— Congressman Juan Ciscomani (@RepCiscomani) December 7, 2023
