Story Updated on January 4th, 2024:
The Lukeville Port of Entry is now reopen. KGUN9 crews are on scene as vehicles are starting to move through the processing facility. The Port has been closed since early December, as U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported record numbers of migrant encounters.
The Morley Gate in Nogales is still set to reopen later Thursday at 10 A.M.
Original Story:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Tuesday its plans to reopen operations in four locations along the U.S. Mexico Border—two of which are located in Arizona.
The Lukeville Port of Entry will resume operations at 6 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, one month after a temporary closure was announced in early December. In Nogales, border crossing operations are also set to resume at the Morley Gate Thursday at 10 a.m.
"CBP will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation," reads a statement released Tuesday.
"We continue to assess security situations, adjust our operational plans, and deploy resources to maximize enforcement efforts against those noncitizens who do not use lawful pathways or processes – such as scheduling an appointment via CBP One – and those without a legal basis to remain in the United States."
CBP concluded its statement by urging members of the public with plans to travel legally between the U.S. and Mexico to check port of entry wait times on its website.
In addition to the two Arizona crossings, CBP also announced vehiclular processing at Eagle Pass International Bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas and San Ysidro’s Pedestrian West operations in San Diego, Calif. will also resume Thursday.
Upon the announcement of the Lukeville reopeing, Southeastern Arizona Representative Juan Ciscomani (R - 06) released a statement saying, "The closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry accomplished nothing to curb the surge of migrants we’re continuing to see. Instead, it shut down trade, commerce, tourism and travel across the border during one of the busiest times of the year."
When the closure was originally announced in early December, Ciscomani and Representative Greg Stanton (D - 04) authored a joint letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, asking for a timeline and reasoning behind the closure.
Tuesday, Stanton expressed his concern as the Department of Homeland Security announced the Lukeville reopening.
Stanton highlighted the strain on Border Patrol due to recent closures during a critical month for cross-border activities.
Urging Congress for emergency funds, Stanton emphasized the need to hire more officers and bolster resources for border security.
“During one of the busiest months for cross-border commerce and tourism, our understaffed and under-resourced Border Patrol was forced to close a vital port of entry. Border communities can’t keep paying the price for the federal government’s failures. Congress must come together to pass emergency supplemental funds to hire more officers and surge resources to secure our border,” Representative Greg Stanton said.
As Chair of the New Democrat Coalition's Immigration and Border Security Task Force, Stanton continues to push for a vote on the Administration's $13.6 billion emergency supplemental funding request, focusing on additional Border Patrol agents and resources to address migrant claims.
Governor Katie Hobbs released the following statement following the reopening for the Lukeville Port of Entry:
“The closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry caused a month of strain and concern for Arizona’s border communities. While the reopening is welcome news, this closure shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Arizona’s ports of entry are vital to national security and trade, and it’s critical that the federal government sends more resources to ensure this does not happen again. While Lukeville will be reopened soon, it’s clear we have work to do to secure our border. As Governor, I am committed to keeping our communities safe and prosperous, and look forward to working with border communities to get that done.”
This is a developing story. KGUN 9 will have more information on the re-opening of the Lukeville POE in the coming days.
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Bivian Contreras is a real-time editor for KGUN 9. Bivian graduated from the University of Arizona School of Journalism with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Broadcast and is currently pursuing a degree in Broadcast Operational Meteorology. Share your story ideas and important issues with Bivian by emailing bivian.contreras@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.