Rep. Gallego, AG Mayes Call for Much-Needed Border Reforms and Funding in Nogales
Both Rep. Gallego and AG Mayes called for the need to support Arizona’s border communities and combat the fentanyl epidemic
NOGALES — Standing outside the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03), Attorney General Kris Mayes, and Sheriff David Hathaway today held a press conference underscoring the need for federal action to address the crisis at Arizona’s border.
“Border communities across Arizona deserve the necessary resources to keep Arizonans safe, grow their economies, and stop the flow of fentanyl,” said Rep. Gallego. “Tragically, extremists in Congress blocked the bipartisan border security bill - our best chance at immigration reform in years. That’s not right, and it’s why we gathered in Nogales to remind Arizonans that leaders like Attorney General Mayes, Sheriff Hathaway, and I are fighting to keep Arizona’s border secure.”
“Arizona has been flooded with cheap and deadly fentanyl – with over half of the fentanyl seized in the United States in recent years being seized in Arizona," said Attorney General Mayes. "Sadly, extremists in Congress continue to obstruct legislation that would better fund border security and keep fentanyl out of our communities. I am grateful for Representative Gallego and Sheriff Hathaway’s leadership on this issue. If we work together, we can combat this crisis, secure our border, and protect the people of Arizona.”
The press conference follows the failure to pass the bipartisan border deal in Congress after extremists in the House and Senate withdrew their support. The deal, supported by Rep. Gallego, included key priorities like funding for Arizona border communities, tools to help stop the fentanyl crisis, changes to how the U.S. handles asylum claims, and increased funding for border protection.
As Congress continues to debate funding the Department of Homeland Security this week, Rep. Gallego today sent a letter to House Appropriations Committee leaders urging them to include more funding for the Shelter and Services Program, which provides critical support to Arizona border communities.
Attorney General Mayes has prioritized combating the opioid crisis during her time in office. She recently called on Congress to allocate funds for non-intrusive fentanyl detection technology at the border. Given that more than half of the fentanyl seized in the U.S. is seized in Arizona, she is renewing her call for funding to keep fentanyl out of Arizona's communities and help save lives.
BACKGROUND ON REP. GALLEGO’S EFFORTS TO SUPPORT ARIZONA’S BORDER COMMUNITIES:
Upon release of the border and foreign aid supplemental package introduced in the Senate in February, Rep. Gallego proudly announced his support of the package.
Prior to the end of Title 42 in May 2023 and after communicating with Arizona border leaders, Rep. Gallego sent four letters to Biden Administration officials and Congress requesting specific resources these communities need to reduce the burden on them and their residents.
In June, he sent an initial letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) arguing that border states like Arizona need more funding to address
border crossings and provide services. He called the FEMA funding model “misguided.”
After a lackluster response from FEMA, he sent a second letter to Secretary of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas directly, expressing his disagreement with the funding model.
Rep. Gallego also sent a letter to FEMA urging the Agency to fix a new documentation requirement that strains border communities and non-profits in Arizona, putting their funding at risk.
Following these letters, as well as a one-on-one call with Sec. Mayorkas, Rep. Gallego announced in September that he had secured over $2 million in emergency funding from the DHS to support Arizona’s border communities as they address an increase in migrant crossings.
In November, Rep. Gallego joined Rep. Michael McCaul (TX-10) in sending a bipartisan letter to House Appropriations Committee leadership requesting that any FY 2024 supplemental appropriations include funding for critical programs to aid first responders in communities impacted by immigration.
After close coordination with Arizona’s non-profits, border community leaders, and law enforcement officials, Rep. Gallego rolled out his plan to institute sweeping reforms to address the problems plaguing FEMA’s failed Shelter and Services Program (SSP) that has shortchanged Arizona’s border communities on the front line of the border crisis.
In December, Rep. Gallego called on the Biden Administration to issue an emergency declaration for the Southwest Border to provide Arizona’s border communities and nonprofits the resources they need to humanely process the increased number of arrivals at the border. He also inquired about using National Guard facilities in Douglas, Arizona as emergency shelter for migrants.
Also in December, Rep. Gallego traveled across Arizona meeting with border community leaders. He met with local officials, farmers, and business owners in Yuma to discuss the impact the closing of the Lukeville Port of Entry had on their businesses and Arizona’s economy, and he visited Nogales, Bisbee, and Tucson to meet with local leaders, nonprofit officials, and representatives from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to discuss the impact of increased migration on Arizona’s border communities.
To stop the flow of fentanyl across the border, Rep. Gallego introduced the Buck Stops Here Act which would authorize the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to designate financial institutions, transaction classes, or accounts as primary money laundering concerns in connection to illicit fentanyl trafficking. He also secured two fentanyl-related provisions in the annual defense bill mandating a report on the role of the Department of Defense (DoD) in supporting a national emergency declaration combating the fentanyl crisis and mandating a threat analysis of any potential threats the illicit fentanyl drug trade poses to the defense interests of the U.S.
Rep. Gallego sent a letter to the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, imploring the Speaker to ensure that any supplemental funding package that comes before the House addresses the needs of Arizona’s border communities, and he sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Administration to crack down on foreign travel agencies that advertise travel packages that include transportation to our Southern border, often through human smuggling organizations.