U.S. Representative Juan Ciscomani (right) talks with Benson Mayor Joe Konrad (left) ahead of the round table discussion hosted by the Sierra Vista Area Chamber of Commerce. December 19, 2023.
U.S. Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ 6) met with city and county officials from Cochise, Graham, and Santa Cruz counties in Sierra Vista Tuesday to discuss economic issues relating to the U.S.- Mexico border.
Ciscomani said he is glad Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is sending the National Guard to the border to help local law enforcement. He also criticized the Biden Administration’s decision to temporarily close the Lukeville Port of Entry.
“I had a specific meeting, a one on one meeting, with the chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security; told him how much against this move we were, and that I really do not want to see any other port go through that in Arizona,” said Ciscomani.
The Lukeville port of entry was closed on December 4. Ciscomani said that the closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry has “devastating impacts on the economy … Because all this hurts the local economy. And if Sierra Vista and Cochise County is feeling it without a port closure, imagine what Lukeville is feeling.”
Douglas Mayor Donald Huish said that the city relies on cross-border commerce for the majority of its sales tax revenue.
"We estimate that close to 70% of our sales tax revenue comes from our neighbors to the south," said Huish. "So, it’s a direct impact of even closing down the border a little bit would affect us in a way that would cause us great harm to the city coffers.”
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Bruce Bracker said about 80% of sales tax in his county and Nogales comes from Mexicans who cross the border to shop.
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