Grand Canyon Times

Senator T.J. Shope has urged Governor Hobbs to deploy the Arizona National Guard to prevent the closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry, a move announced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The closure is planned for Monday to allocate resources for managing border security challenges.

"This closure will detrimentally impact those vacationing in the popular beach town of Puerto Peñasco, stripping commuters of a safe and direct route back into Arizona," stated Senator Shope. He emphasized that Governor Hobbs should "use her executive power for the safety of our citizens by deploying Arizona National Guard resources to the border."

Shope criticized President Biden's administration, asserting that law enforcement at the border is overwhelmed and unsupported. He added, "Forcing Arizonans to travel hours out of their way on routes vulnerable to cartel organizations, terrorists, and other criminals seeking to do harm is completely unacceptable." Shope called for immediate action from Governor Hobbs and encouraged Arizona's congressional delegation to advocate reversing this decision.

For further information, Kim Quintero, Director of Communications at the Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus, can be contacted via email at kquintero@azleg.gov.