.svg){kind=icon}
For those traveling through Arizona’s Sonoran Desert to get to the beachside community of Puerto Peñasco, Mexico (aka Rocky Point), the port of entry at Lukeville, AZ into Sonoyta, Sonora is a familiar stop. Any news about the US-Mexico border leaves many visitors and residents on both sides of the border scratching our heads.
Though not a commercial port, the Lukeville-Sonoyta entry is a very important lifeline for local economies both in the central southern part of Arizona as well as northwestern Sonora. It is also the gateway for those traveling from Arizona and southwestern U.S. to Rocky Point, affectionately known as “Arizona’s beach.” It is additionally essential for travel from Rocky Point and Sonoyta to Arizona for business, trade, shopping, and regional tourism.
U.S. President Biden’s announcement on June 4th regarding steps meant to limit possibilities for asylum seekers into the U.S., following a certain number of undocumented encounters, is yet another head-scratcher for regular travel. We have taken a deeper look into what this may mean for our guests and hope this is helpful. We look forward to your visit! For border wait times at the Lukeville/Sonyta crossing (northbound): Check Lukeville
Some key points to keep in mind:
👉The directive is not centered on other border activity, such as trade, travel, or traffic. Rather, it would suspend the processing of asylum requests for a period of time.
👉Under the executive order, the administration would discontinue asylum requests to the US-Mexico border once the number of daily encounters has reached 2,500 between legal ports of entry.
👉The restriction on asylum eligibility would be discontinued when encounters fall below certain levels, re-opening two weeks after that figure falls below a daily average of 1,500 for seven consecutive days. Fact Sheet: Presidential Proclamation to Suspend and Limit Entry and Joint DHS-DOJ Interim Final Rule to Restrict Asylum During High Encounters at the Southern Border | Homeland Security
