Arizona lawmakers condemn Biden border policies

Dear Governor Ducey,

The invasion of America’s southern border has become a national emergency. We are witnessing a surge like we have never experienced before. In April of this year, you took the lead and asked President Biden for resources to assist in the influx of illegal immigrants. To this day, the Biden-Harris administration continues to ignore the safety of our citizens and has allowed the nation’s border to be overrun.

The Biden-Harris open border policy is destroying our country. We expect the president and his administration to assist our homeless veterans and struggling citizens. Instead, he is using federal tax dollars to house, feed, and provide health care to thousands of illegal immigrants who have willfully violated our laws. This administration is demanding that all Americans must get vaccinated for COVID-19. Yet, they make no such demand upon the thousands coming into our country illegally. Moreover, we will not tolerate the Biden-Harris administration’s disregard of female military servicemembers and Border Patrol agents who endure sexual assault and harassment from illegal immigrants.

This willful invasion on our nation must end immediately. The duty to stop the illegal flow across our southern border rests solely on the federal government. The Biden-Harris administration’s resistance, and utter failure, to fulfil its responsibility is a disgrace.

If the Biden-Harris administration does not care about the well-being and safety of its citizens, then it is up to the State of Arizona to do what it can. We respectfully urge you to consider declaring a state of emergency, utilize the National Guard to assist as permitted to secure Arizona’s southern border, and immediately seek support from the Mexican government to assist the state in stopping this unprecedented surge.

Sincerely,

Rep. Leo Biasiucci, District 5

Rep. Mark Finchem, District 11

Rep. Walter Blackman, District 6

Rep. Jake Hoffman, District 12

Rep. Judy Burges, District 1

Rep. Quang Nguyen, District 1

Rep. John Fillmore, District 16

Rep. Jacqueline Parker, District 16

Rep. Steve Kaiser, District 15

Rep. David Cook, District 8

Rep. Joseph Chaplik, District 23

Rep. Beverly Pingerelli, District 21

Rep. Brenda Barton, District 6

Rep. Kevin Payne, District 21

Rep. Frank Carroll, District 22

Rep. John Kavanagh, District 23

Rep. Shawnna Bolick, District 20

Rep. Tim Dunn, District 13*

Sen. Sonny Borrelli, District 5

Sen. Wendy Rogers, District 6

Sen. David Livingston, District 22

Sen. Sine Kerr, District 13*

Sen. Nancy Barto, District 15

Sen. Warren Petersen, District 12

*represents Yuma County

Rep. Tim Dunn, (R-Dist. 13), and Sen. Sine Kerr, (R-Dist 13.), who represent Yuma County in the state House and Senate, both signed off on the letter.

However, local Democratic representatives see the situation at the border differently. Rep. Charlene Fernandez, (D-Dist. 4), says the GOP is using the surge in asylum seekers as a distraction. In a written statement the Representative says:

“President Biden is working hard to address the situation at our border and is putting forth the resources we need. That has never stopped Republicans from using the border, and immigrants, to distract from their failures. They have failed to address the COVID-19 pandemic and protect our kids and teachers. They failed to overturn the 2020 election with their sham audit. And they failed to defend their disastrous budget which was just ruled unconstitutional in court for illegally logrolling controversial policy items into a spending plan. Any and every time they fail, they look for scapegoats and those scapegoats are way too often people of color and speak Spanish.”

- Rep. Charlene Fernandez, (D-Dist. 4)

No word on if, or how, Gov. Ducey has responded to the Republican's request. He too has been a vocal critic of the Biden Administration's border policies.