Both Democratic senators from Arizona have supported Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s deployment of 500 National Guard soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border. On Wednesday, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said the state’s reserves, which are in addition to existing federal law enforcement on the border, are not sufficient to address the mounting number of people illegally crossing in the Tucson and Yuma regions of the state.
INTERESTING WATCH: RFK TALKING TO GLENN BECK ON WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
"It’s clear that not enough is being done," Sinema said. "Arizona is bearing the brunt of this crisis because of the federal government's failure to address immigration issues over the last three decades."
WATCH: WE NEED MORE DAD'S LIKE THIS
Sinema and Sen. Mark Kelly asked Biden to compensate the state for the $25 million they assume the National Guard deployment will cost, but they have yet to hear back from the White House.
“I've been down to the border, Douglas and Yuma. I’ve talked to sheriffs and mayors and the two sector chiefs and their leadership teams. We've got a problem,” Kelly told reporters on Thursday. "The federal government has failed on this issue for decades now. Washington has to do better, and Arizonans are fed up. So, I'm just going to call it like I see it.”
UNIVERSITIES HAVE LOST THEIR WAY, ARE THEY THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM?
On Thursday, Biden officials told reporters that Congress should take action on immigration issues. Sinema already has, offering a bipartisan bill in April with Republicans that calls on the Biden administration to set up regional processing facilities along the 2,000-mile border that are better satisfied than Border Patrol stations to handle asylum-seeking families and children.
WILL HARVEY WEINSTEIN'S RETRIAL ACTUALLY EVER HAPPEN?
Sinema said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas personally pledged to her that he would discuss the concerns of Arizona border communities.
“What I’m waiting for is the administration to take bold action to actually address these concerns,” Sinema told radio station KTAR News on Thursday.
RUSSIA'S AERIAL ASSAULTS MET WITH UKRAINE'S DRONE RESPONSE
Out east in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Laredo, Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar is disconcerted with how the Biden administration is describing the border crisis. This past week, DHS released photos of Border Patrol’s Donna facility, a series of tents to hold children and families after they are first taken into custody. The pictures showed near-empty rooms compared to in March when border authorities allowed the facility to become notably dense in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. A congresswoman who toured the Donna border facility in March said it was holding 5,700 people despite its 250-person capacity.
Discover alternative ideas that will make you think
Engage in mind bending debate
Earn points, rise in rank, have fun
