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Senator reiterated her concerns to the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary on the Administration’s suspension timeline for Title 42 during a Senate hearing
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema reiterated to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) her concerns about the Administration’s Title 42 suspension timeline during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing.
“In order to protect Arizona communities and ensure a fair and humane process for migrants, DHS will need to put additional resources, including staffing, transportation, physical infrastructure, and support for local communities, on the ground before lifting Title 42… Every time migration surges, Arizona communities pay the price for the federal government’s failures,” said Sinema, Chair of the Senate Border Management Subcommittee and a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
Sinema underscored the concerns she continues to hear from Arizona communities, non-governmental organizations, and local and federal law enforcement officers who have been struggling to keep with the flow of migrants for years. While the DHS contingency plan discusses a planned response, Sinema said she remains concerned about the on-the-ground implementation.
The Senator explained that Arizona’s Border Patrol processing centers are already at full capacity, with the Tucson Sector receiving hundreds of migrants each day from the Yuma Sector to decompress their overcrowded facilities. Sinema expressed her concern that the Administration’s timeline is unrealistic and the contingency plan’s boost of infrastructure, transportation, and human capital resources to affected areas might not be in place in time. Sinema further questioned the Secretary on how DHS will ensure these resources are on the ground before Title 42 ends in order to minimize impact on Arizona border communities.
Sinema recently cosponsored the bipartisan Securing America’s Ports of Entry Act – legislation that boosts the number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel at ports of entry, increasing border security while facilitating legal trade and travel.
Partnering with a bipartisan group of senators, Sinema recently introduced legislation that ensures the Administration coordinates and communicates with border communities and puts a comprehensive, workable plan in place before lifting Title 42.