Ciscomani, Stanton Demand DHS Provide Timeline for Reopening of Lukeville Port of Entry

WASHINGTON — U.S. Congressmen Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) and Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04) demanded the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provide a timeline for reopening the Lukeville Port of Entry (POE) in a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday. The POE closed indefinitely Monday for all pedestrians and vehicles as DHS redirected U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) staff to assist in processing an unprecedented surge of migrant arrivals.

In their letter, the congressmen called for clarity on what metrics will be evaluated to determine when the POE will reopen, as well as what resources have been redirected to the Tucson sector to ensure a swift return to normal operations.

“Arizonans and Mexicans benefit from efficient cross-border commerce and tourism,” said the Arizona representatives. “We’ve heard from constituents concerned about the impact of the port’s closure on their businesses and personal travel. We’re also deeply concerned the closure may increase wait times and force trade and tourism to reroute to already understaffed ports in the Tucson and Yuma sectors.”

Specifically, Ciscomani and Stanton requested answers to the following questions:

1. How was the determination made to close the Lukeville POE, and specifically what metrics will be used to determine when to reopen it?
2. What resources is your department providing to the Tucson sector to ensure a swift return to normal operations?
3. What resources have been diverted from other POEs?

Full text of the letter is here.