Senator spoke about her bipartisan proposal to secure the border and ensure the fair and humane treatment of migrants, among other federal priorities for Yuma County
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema hosted a meeting with Martin Porchas, Chairman of the Yuma County Board of Supervisors, to detail her work building support for bipartisan solutions to address the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis at the Southwest border.
“Securing our border while ensuring the safe and humane treatment of migrants remains a top priority for me, Yuma County, and all of Arizona. We’re committed to finding real, lasting solutions that keep Arizonans safe, protect border communities like Yuma, and fix holes in our broken immigration system,” said Sinema, Chair of the Border Management Subcommittee.
Sinema has consistently heard from Yuma farmers and local leaders about the need to reform the broken immigration system to better meet the needs of Arizona communities, including workforce shortages for farmers, small businesses, and more.
Last month, Sinema led the largest bipartisan delegation of U.S. Senators to the Southwest border in El Paso, Texas, and Yuma, Arizona, to see firsthand the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis that Arizona border communities witness every day. During the Congressional delegation, Sinema convened a roundtable with participating U.S. Senators, nonprofits, local law enforcement, and local elected leaders, highlighting the challenges presented by the ongoing border crisis. Sinema vowed to continue her work with solutions-focused colleagues who understand the need to deliver lasting results to solve this challenge.
At the end of last year, Sinema partnered with Senator Tillis on a bipartisan proposal to fuel investments in Border Patrol Agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations Officers; reassert control of the border through increased enforcement, technology, resources, and more; modernize the asylum system; reform the employment visa system to ensure our nation’s global competitiveness; and establish a pathway to citizenship for roughly 2 million Dreamers who were brought to this country when they were children through no fault of their own.
Sinema secured several border security priorities in last year’s annual bipartisan budget legislation, including:
- Operation and Support: $15.6 billion for operation and support for CBP.
- Border Management: $1.56 billion for CBP border management, including for soft-sided facilities with wrap-around services, medical capabilities, child caregivers, overtime and temporary duty, DHS volunteer force, transportation, operational costs, flight hours, law enforcement personnel, and general contract support for processing. $339.7 million for ICE border management requirements, including $74.98 million in third-party medical costs related to migrants in CBP custody.
- Support for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): $800 million for the CBP Shelter and Services Program, proving funding for NGOs and local governments that were previously under the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) – avoiding any interruptions during the transition from EFSP to the new Shelter and Services Program.
- Border Security Technologies: $230.28 million for border security technologies.
- CBP Facilities and Construction: $99.9 million for CBP facilities construction and improvements.
- Roads Infrastructure: $5 million for maintenance of tribal roads used by the U.S. Border Patrol.