Sen. Mark Kelly: “We need to deal with some of the gaps in the border fencing in the Yuma area…”
By José Ignacio Castañeda Perez | The Arizona Republic
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly visited Yuma Wednesday and met with U.S. Border Patrol officials to discuss his efforts in helping close four gaps along the Arizona-Mexico border wall while also addressing concerns about the closure.
Kelly, D-Ariz., spoke with Yuma Sector Border Patrol Chief Chris Clem about operational challenges facing Border Patrol and the impact of increased staffing and technology resources on border security. Kelly also addressed environmental, humanitarian and logistical concerns that have arisen following the announcement to close the border wall gaps.
The meeting took place in front of one of the gaps in the border wall near the Morelos Dam, an area that has become a frequent crossing point for migrants entering the U.S. from Mexico.
On July 28, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas authorized U.S. Customs and Border Protection to close the four gaps that are located in an incomplete border barrier project near the Morelos Dam in the U.S. Border Patrol’s Yuma Sector.
Kelly has urged the Biden administration and DHS to close the gaps along the Arizona-Mexico border wall for months. Kelly first pushed President Joe Biden to close the gaps in December and has since had numerous calls with the White House and Mayorkas to get their approval, according to a news release from Kelly’s office.
“After a long process of working with the administration we were able to get these closed,” Kelly said as he stood in front of the border wall near the Morelos Dam. “This is an operational issue for Border Patrol and it’s going to make the agents’ jobs easier.”
