Ciscomani Releases Statement Ahead of Lukeville Port of Entry Closure

TUCSON, AZ – U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) released the following statement as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is set to suspend operations at the Lukeville Port of Entry starting Monday. CBP is closing the location to reassign agents and officers to help mitigate the surge of migrants across the Tucson Border Sector.

“Every community along our border lives in sync with their counterparts across country lines. Tomorrow’s closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry — a major hub for tourism and everyday travel alike — will hurt every part of life on both sides of the border. From grocery shopping to attending school to visiting a doctor, life as we know it will halt while CBP is forced to pause normal operations and focus entirely on the current migrant surge. 

“On Friday, I asked the Biden administration to deploy the Arizona National Guard in order to prevent situations just like this. I am urging the administration to fulfill this request immediately before we see any more unintended consequences cripple our communities. 

Last week, Congressman Ciscomani sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging him to request the deployment of the Arizona National Guard to the state to support CBP’s efforts. The push comes as the Tucson Border Sector faces the brunt of a surge in migrant traffic at the southern border. Full text of the letter is available here.