WASHINGTON, D.C.—Representatives Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04) and Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) demanded the Department of Homeland Security provide a timeline for reopening the Lukeville Port of Entry along the Arizona-Mexico border. The POE closed indefinitely Monday for all pedestrians and vehicles as DHS redirected all Customs and Border Protection staff to assist in processing an unprecedented surge of migrant arrivals.

In a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the Representatives 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. Full text of the letter is HERE.

“Arizonans and Mexicans benefit from efficient cross-border commerce and tourism,” the representatives wrote. “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.”

As the New Democrat Coalition’s Immigration and Border Security Task Force Chair, Stanton has led the call for a vote on the Administration’s request for $13.6 billion in emergency supplemental border security funding. The supplemental appropriations would, in part, go to hire an additional 1,300 Border Patrol agents to maintain border security and 1,600 Asylum Officers and 375 immigration judge teams to hear migrant claims.