Sinema Announces Plan to Lead Bipartisan Trip to US Border

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, then a Democrat and now an independent, speaks at a news conference after the Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act at the Capitol building in Washington on Nov. 29, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) is planning to take a group of bipartisan senators on a trip to the southern U.S. border so that they can see for themselves the crisis that’s happening.

“Part of the problem is that many in Washington have never taken the time to really see our border up close,” Sinema said in a speech on the Senate floor on Dec. 20. “Without seeing it for all of its diversity and its challenges, it can be easy to rely on the partisan talking points instead of focusing on the meaningful, realistic solutions.

“That’s why when we come back to Congress in January, one of the first things I will do, with Senator Tillis, is convene a bipartisan group of senators who are willing and committed to get something done.

“We are going bring them to the border. We are going to see what Arizonans see every single day, because a crisis this big should not and cannot be ignored.”

Sinema’s effort to raise awareness of the border crisis comes as the fate of the COVID-19 pandemic-era Title 42 border policy hangs in limbo. The policy was scheduled to expire on Dec. 21, but the Supreme Court ruled on Dec. 19 to halt the expiration, after 19 Republican-led states filed an emergency application for a stay.

On Dec. 20, the Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to rule against the states that initiated the court action but requested that the border policy remain in place until Dec. 27.

“The combination of an unsecure border, an overworked and under-resourced Border Patrol and protection force, and never-before-seen levels of illegal immigration, asylum seekers, and coordinated smuggling efforts have completely ruined an already broken system,” Sinema said.

Earlier this month, she announced that she had left the Democratic Party and registered as an independent.

U.S. Border Patrol agents check for identification of immigrants as they wait to be processed after crossing the border from Mexico in Yuma, Ariz., on June 22, 2022. Qian Weizhong/VCG/Getty Images

Title 42

Sinema warned that once Title 42 expires, the border crisis would worsen, paving the way for “thousands of migrants to enter Arizona, Texas, and other border states without the proper procedures, plans, or infrastructures in place.”

“Let me be clear: This is a humanitarian and security nightmare,” she said.

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• How the End of Title 42 Will Affect the Border Crisis

Title 42 was invoked in March 2020 as an order issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19, as illegal aliens could be quickly turned away at the southern border, rather than processed at immigration detention facilities under Title 8 immigration law.

On Dec. 14, Yuma County, which occupies the southwestern corner of Arizona, declared an emergency in the unincorporated areas of the county over a “health and humanitarian crisis” at the southern border. According to a declaration, the county was in the middle of a “triple treat” of COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, and the flu.

“More than 300,000 apprehensions have been made by Yuma Sector agents in fiscal year 2022,” the declaration reads. “The number of asylum seekers and migrants is expected to increase by 40% or more once Title 42 expires.

“The emergency declaration will allow for additional flexibility and resources to address the evolving issue.”

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• El Paso Mayor Warns 20,000 Migrants Waiting in Mexico to Cross Border When Title 42 Ends

Also anticipating more arriving aliens once Title 42 expires is Arizona’s border city of San Luis. On Dec. 15, the city’s mayor, Nieves Riedel, signed a proclamation and a declaration of emergency, saying more aliens would put pressure on the “already strained humanitarian services provided locally by non-profits, health services, and other governmental agencies.”

“The safety and health of my community remain my main priority,” Riedel stated. “With limited resources, our residents need to be cared for first.”

Border Patrol agent Jose Girabay stands next to part of the 30-foot-high, 22-mile new fence on the U.S–Mexico border east of San Luis in Yuma, Ariz., on Nov. 27, 2019. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

Crisis

“In Arizona, the impact is clear. Small towns along our border like San Luis, Nogales, Naco, Yuma, and Ajo are overwhelmed daily, struggling to care for their own residents while managing an increasing influx of hundreds of migrants every day,” Sinema said.

The Arizona senator pointed to San Luis, noting how the city’s health service is overstretched.

“In San Luis—a small community of roughly 37,000 right on the Arizona–Mexico border—the fire chief recently told us that three of his five ambulances are used solely to care for migrants in need, leaving only two ambulances for the entire local community on any given night.”

The influx of fentanyl has also been a big concern, the senator noted, pointing to a recent seizure of 1.5 million fentanyl pills at the Nogales port of entry.

Port Director Michael Humphries announced the seizure on Dec. 12, saying the pills were of different colors, including blue, multi-colored, and rainbow-colored.

On Dec. 19, Humphries announced another seizure, saying border officials had found about 10,400 fentanyl pills and 6.4 pounds of meth.

Mexican cartels have been buying precursor chemicals from China to make fentanyl and ship finished products to the United States. In October, former President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social account to urge the Biden administration to confront China over the U.S. fentanyl crisis.

Also on Dec. 20, Sinema called out President Joe Biden for not visiting the border, in an interview with Fox News.

“I absolutely think the president should visit the border. In fact, I think anyone who is responsible for setting or making policy on the border should visit the border,” she said. “I mean, that’s ... a no-brainer, right?”