The Lukeville Port of Entry is set to reopen Thursday, Jan. 4.
Lukeville Port of Entry to reopen Thursday
Staff Reports
LUKEVILLE – After being closed for a month due to an influx of immigrants, the U.S. Border Patrol is reopening the Lukeville Port of Entry.
The announcement listed the Lukeville border crossing was scheduled to reopen on Thursday, Jan. 4 at 6 a.m. and the Morley gate will reopen at 10 a.m.
According to the U.S. Border Patrol, operations will also resume at crossings at the Eagle Pass International Bridge in Texas and the San Ysidro Port of Entry Pedestrian West crossing in San Diego.
The Lukeville crossing was closed on Dec. 4 to reassign agents to process thousands of migrants who were appearing roughly a mile west of the port of entry.
The closure has had a devastating effect on the economy of Puerto Peñasco, Sonora (commonly known also as Rocky Point) as well as communities north of the border in Why and Ajo.
On Tuesday, Arizona senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema issued a joint statement regarding the reopening.
“Following our calls, we’re relieved that the Lukeville Port of Entry and Morley Gate are reopening – but in Arizona, we continue to experience the devastating effects of this unacceptable closure and our broken border system.
“Arizona’s border communities are in crisis – and closing Lukeville and redirecting port officers to help U.S. Border Patrol process migrants due to a broken border system further destabilized our border and disrupted trade and tourism our economy depends on.
“While reopening these border crossings is critical, it doesn’t solve our broken border and immigration system. The longer Congress and the Administration fail to adequately respond, the more we risk future closures and disruptions. We’re renewing our call for both sides to reject the echo chamber and work with us to make meaningful progress, secure our border, and keep our communities safe,” said Kelly and Sinema.
On Dec. 4, 2023, U.S. Customs and Border indefinitely closed the Lukeville Port of Entry – a critical port for Arizona’s economy that supports jobs, trade, tourism, and small businesses – to shift resources to other parts of the border to address the growing border crisis. Recent reports found that December broke records for the month with the most migrant encounters recorded, with over 300,000 migrants processed at the southwest border last month alone.
One month later, the Port’s closure has overwhelmed other parts of the border, hurting Arizona small businesses, and negatively impacting tourism in the area.
Last month, Kelly and Sinema urged the Administration to reassign National Guard members to help reopen the Lukeville Port of Entry and reimburse Arizona for the costs it incurs shouldering the burden of the border crisis.
