(The Center Square) – Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said she has spoken with United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas since the Lukeville Port of Entry reopened.
The Center Square asked Hobbs on Thursday what the status of communication has been like between DHS and the state government at a gaggle with reporters in north Phoenix.
“So my team is communicating with them daily. I’ve spoken with the secretary a couple of times since the port was reopened,” Hobbs said.
Hobbs ordered National Guard troops to the southern border in December amid the Lukeville Port of Entry closure from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP shifted its focus to the surge of migrants in the Tucson Sector.
The governor said at the time that she had not spoken directly with Mayorkas since September in Washington D.C.
“Oh goodness, I think when I was there in September, but then I spoke with the Assistant Secretary last week actually,” she told The Center Square. The Assistant Secretary was Acting Deputy Secretary Kristie Canegallo, according to the governor’s office.
The Lukeville Port of Entry reopened on Thursday, Jan. 4.
“CBP will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation,” the agency said in a statement on the ports reopening, The Center Square reported at the time.
In December, the Democrat also requested a federal government reimbursement of $512 million for costs incurred by the state on border security matters.
As of now, Hobbs is continuing with a border security mission known as “Operation SECURE.” She is seeking for funding for the operation in the state’s budget, as lawmakers receive a briefing by sheriffs from Yuma and Cochise counties on what they want from the legislature this session, The Center Square reported.
