Tucson Standard

A bipartisan effort led by U.S. Congressmen Juan Ciscomani and Greg Stanton to support the Customs and Border Protection Hiring and Retention Act (CBP HiRe Act) has garnered praise from over a dozen local officials and stakeholder organizations.

Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels expressed his gratitude for the introduction of the legislation, stating, “The border crisis has taken a devastating toll on CBP and local law enforcement. I appreciate Congressmen Ciscomani and Stanton for introducing commonsense legislation to ensure that CBP has what they need to tackle the job at hand day in and day out.”

Douglas Mayor Don Huish voiced his support for the CBP HiRe Act, emphasizing the importance of proper staffing at ports of entry, saying, “The federal government is in the process of investing over $400 million to the infrastructure deficiencies at the Douglas port of entry but they also need the staff to operate the facilities properly.”

Sahuarita Mayor Tom Murphy highlighted the significance of having adequate personnel at the border, stating, “By offering adequate benefits to recruit and retain CBP agents and officers, they will be better equipped to protect our homeland, help facilitate trade and commerce at our ports of entry and complete the countless other jobs that our border communities rely on them for.”

San Luis Mayor Nieves Riedel emphasized the necessity of staffing for economic viability and physical security, stating, “We need to enable CBP to hire, incentivize, and retain personnel to ensure our economic viability and physical security - and this bill does just that.”

Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls expressed his support for the CBP HiRe Act, noting that the legislation will help support those protecting the borders and communities.

Various stakeholders also commended the initiative, with Patrick Scherden, Chairman of the Douglas Regional Economic Development Corporation, thanking Congressmen Greg Stanton and Juan Ciscomani for pushing the critical initiative.

The Greater Nogales Santa Cruz County Port Authority Chairman, Josh Rubin, expressed gratitude to the Congressmen for introducing the bill, emphasizing the importance of providing Customs with necessary staffing to fulfill their tasks efficiently and effectively.

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) endorsed the CBP HiRe Act, with National President Doreen Greenwald stating, “The Customs and Border Protection employees we represent would welcome the recruitment and retention incentives provided by this legislation to alleviate the staffing shortages that strain their workloads and impact port operations.”

The support from local officials and stakeholders underscores the importance of the CBP HiRe Act in addressing staffing challenges and ensuring the effective operation of ports of entry.