As a frequent traveler between Arizona and Puerto Penasco, I, like hundreds of thousands of other Arizonans, rely on the Lukeville border crossing for being on the most direct route from Arizona to Penasco. However, recent changes have seen this crucial crossing point closed. This has not only disrupted our travel plans but also impacted the local economies of Ajo, Why, Lukeville, Sonoyta, and Puerto Penasco.

The Lukeville border crossing is more than just a convenient gateway; it's an essential conduit for legal travelers, commerce, and community connection. In the last 12 months, over 982,000 passenger vehicles used this port of entry to reenter the United States. The closure doesn't just inconvenience individuals – it increases risk to legal travelers who must now find riskier alternative routes, and hampers economic growth.

Redeploying border officers away from legal crossings at the port to handle illegal crossings elsewhere is counterproductive. It makes far more sense to maintain a strong presence at established ports where most traffic occurs. Forcing Phoenix and Tucson traffic to use Nogales or San Luis will add significant travel time, add stress to those other ports, and increase risk to travelers, which goes against Department of State travel guidelines. Mexican Route 8 is by far the safest and most efficient way to return from Puerto Penasco and Sonoyta/Lukeville.

We call upon relevant authorities to redeploy officers back to supporting legal crossings at the Lukeville border crossing, and the our government staff this port so that they can support the much larger number of legal crossings in an efficient and timely way.

We also urge the authorities to reopen fully and extend this port’s operating hours from 6am to 10pm daily with additional extensions until midnight on Fridays and Sundays. This is still fewer open hours than prior to Covid, but passenger numbers have recovered since Covid while our government services have not. Limiting weekend hours to 8pm forces travelers from Phoenix and Tucson to race to the border prior to its closure, and dangerous driving and road accidents is often an unfortunate result. Upon return on Sundays we are all used to the very long lines to return to the US, partially caused by the limited opening hours for returning.

By signing this petition, you are standing up for safe and efficient travel routes between Arizona and Puerto Penasco as well as supporting local economic growth in both regions. Please sign today!