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Gov. Katie Hobbs of Arizona is requesting that the federal government “reimburse” more than $500 million to address the financial catastrophe brought on by President Joe Biden’s inability to secure the southern border.
The Democratic governor, in a letter dated December 8, requests more than $512 million in federal funds to cover state expenditures incurred by the state for costs associated with illegal immigration, such as transportation, drug interdiction, law enforcement, and other expenses “caused by the federal government’s failure to secure our border.”
Ms. Hobbs used the closure of Lukeville, Arizona, one of the busiest ports of entry in the state on December 4 as an example of how the Biden administration’s open border policies have caused severe disruptions for Arizonans. Agents were moved from the crossing to assist in the arrest and processing of a large number of migrants who were walking across the border to seek asylum.
In the letter, which she made public on social media, Ms. Hobbs stated that Arizona “has continued to bear the burden of federal inaction in managing our southern border” for far too long. “The recent decision to close the Lukeville Port of Entry has led to an unmitigated humanitarian crisis in the area and has put Arizona’s safety and commerce at risk.”
“Our ports of entry are essential to our state and our country’s economy, and it is vital that they be properly staffed and resourced to continue to fuel economic growth in the state,” she added.
In a statement, the CBP asserted that shifting conditions at the border compelled the agency to relocate employees from the port of entry.
“In response to increased levels of migrant encounters at the Southwest Border, fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals, CBP is surging all available resources to expeditiously and safely process migrants,” the statement read. “CBP will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation.”
President Biden is in danger right now because of the strongly worded comments made by Ms. Hobbs, a liberal governor of a swing state, denouncing the present Democratic government on problems about the southern border.
Sam Nunberg, a veteran political consultant and assistant to former President Donald Trump, told The Epoch Times that although Ms. Hobbs’s open criticism of the leader of her party is primarily political theater, it also exposes President Biden’s political weaknesses.
It’s an indication of weakness. She wouldn’t be doing it, Mr. Nunberg added, if Joe Biden had a 60% support rating in the state. “It’s a swing state, and she is trying to protect her flank, as well as help the Democratic nominee in the Senate race, which is coming.”
“However, at the end of the day, people need to know this is strictly for public consumption, and it telegraphs just how weak of a position President Biden finds himself in.”
The most current RealClearPolitics average shows that President Biden is polling at 44%.
Experts anticipate that Arizona will be crucial in selecting the next president. After over 3.4 million votes were cast, President Biden won the state by 0.3 percent in 2020, making history as the first Democratic nominee to win the state since President Bill Clinton in 1996.
The state was won by Mr. Trump by 3.5 percentage points in 2016. The country has witnessed a significant increase in unauthorized border crossings in recent years.
For instance, with 240,988 engagements at the southern border, CBP reported the most number of illegal immigrant confrontations for any October ever. Additionally, the agency disclosed that 12 of the arrests it conducted in the month were of individuals who were on the FBI’s terror watchlist, with one arrest coming from the northern border and the other from the southern one. Once the numbers are confirmed, it is anticipated that the fiscal year total for 2023 will be more than 2.4 million, breaking the record of 2.3 million set in 2022.
Between Nov. 24 and Nov. 30, a record number of 17,500 illegal aliens were detained in Arizona for breaking the law by entering the state’s southeast region from Mexico. This number increased from roughly 15,650 the week before.
It is anticipated that border security and immigration will remain contentious political concerns, particularly in border states. Mr. Nunberg said that as November draws nearer, Democrats should anticipate seeing a growing percentage of them distance themselves from an unpopular president.
This is just the start. More and more Democrats in red and purple areas will be publicly attacking Joe Biden, according to Mr. Nunberg. “This isn’t about party loyalty—it is about political survival.”
