The U.S.-Mexican border in Arizona.
Sen. Jeff Flake was a vocal critic of President Donald Trump during the campaign, but he has some positive things to say about Wednesday’s executive order on immigration.
Flake said he supports ending the “catch and release” program, in which people who cross the border illegally are released if they have no criminal record.
When it comes to the construction of a border wall, Flake is less supportive. He told reporters in Phoenix that more money should go to detention facilities.
“That’s not the best use of money,” said Flake. “The best use of money would be for bed space for detention, or for surveillance, or for drones, for cameras, for forward operating bases for the Border Patrol, but certainly not to put a wall everywhere.”
He said getting Congress to “cough up” $15 to $20 billion for wall construction could be a tough sell.
Flake was a member of the Gang of Eight, a bipartisan group who wrote a comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2013.
He said that proposal, which passed the Senate but was never taken up in the House, contained funding for a border fence.
U.S. Representative Martha McSally
Southern Arizona Congresswoman Martha McSally issued a statement saying she welcomes the federal attention to the border, but barriers, like walls, are only part of the equation.
“What we need is a comprehensive strategy to grow situational awareness, build operational control, and dismantle the cartels and their networks,” said McSally.
Requests for an interview or statement from Republican Sen. John McCain went unanswered.
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