TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Gov. Katie Hobbs will be in Tucson Tuesday morning, March 21 to attend multiple community meetings on border-related issues.
Before heading to the Arizona-Sonora border for a tour of the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, the two officials will meet with Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents for a briefing.
Hobbs and Mayorkas are also slated to meet with humanitarian workers from Casa Alitas, a Tucson shelter that has been tapped for resources recently, providing housing and supplies to legal asylum seekers in Southern Arizona.
Tuesday's visit will mark Hobbs' third trip to the border as Governor. She conducted a series of 'listening sessions' with border community advocates Thursday and Friday. According to her office, the sessions were intended to provide guidance for resources needed in the event Title 42 is suspended on May 11—which could lead to a new surge of asylum-seekers in the state.
“My administration is proactively addressing the myriad of issues with our southern border, and want to hear from organizations on the ground regarding how the administration can better support efforts to coordinate and collaborate on processing these individuals in the most humane and efficient manner,” said Governor Hobbs.
Mayorkas arrived in Tucson ahead of the Tuesday border visit, and met with Mayor Regina Romero at City Hall to discuss the city's border-related issues.
"I was able to share the work the City of Tucson is doing in partnership with Pima County, Casa Alitas and other non-profit partners. I expressed concern of any consideration of restarting Trump-era policy of family detention, while advocating for needed funding and resources," said Romero.
The visit comes on the heels of several border visits by federal officials, including a Senate delegation to El Paso, and visits to border towns by Southern Arizona Congressional Reps. Raul Grijalva and Juan Ciscomani and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.
President Biden also made his first visit as president to the U.S. - Mexico border in January. You can watch KGUN 9's coverage of those border visits in the video player above.
KGUN 9 will have coverage Tuesday of the governor's and secretary's border tour in our 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts.
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Anne Simmons is the digital executive producer for KGUN 9. Anne got her start in television while still a student at the University of Arizona. Before joining KGUN, she managed multiple public access television stations in the Bay Area and has worked as a video producer in the non-profit sector. Share your story ideas and important issues with Anne by emailing anne.simmons@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.