Arizona governor requests $512 million reimbursement from Biden for southern border security 'failure'

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Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs pressed on border surge, education

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) sat down with 'Fox News Sunday' host Shannon Bream to discuss how the border crisis has impacted the state and why the debate over school choice is taking center stage. 

In a letter to President Biden on Friday, Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs expressed her frustration and concern about the administration's response to the southern border crisis and, in the process, demanded a hefty reimbursement. 

"Today, I sent a letter to President Biden calling on him to reassign National Guard members to assist in its reopening, as well as reimburse the $512,529,333 federal border inaction has cost us," Hobbs posted on X.

In the letter, Hobbs told Biden that the reimbursements are for the federal government’s "failure to secure the Arizona border," emphasizing that moving forward, the state Arizona will regularly seek reimbursement from the federal government.

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Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin/File)

On Monday, the Lukeville Port of Entry was closed at the federal government's order, forcing all American and Mexican residents to drive several hours to the next closest port of entry in Nogales, Arizona.

"For far too long, Arizona has continued to bear the burden of federal inaction in managing our southern border," Hobbs wrote in the letter. "The recent decision to close the Lukeville Port of Entry has led to an unmitigated humanitarian crisis in the area and has put Arizona's safety and commerce at risk."

In her letter, Hobbs urged Biden to "immediately" move 243 National Guard soldiers who are already assigned to the Tucson region to the Lukeville Port of Entry.

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"Further, to the extent it is necessary, I am requesting that additional National Guard members currently on federal active duty orders be reassigned to Arizona to assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection to reopen the Lukeville Port of Entry," Hobbs said. 

Hobbs was set to travel to the state's southern border with Mexico this weekend to visit the border crisis in Lukeville.

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Migrants flee through a gap being repaired in the border wall in Lukeville, Ariz. (Fox News/File)

Hobbs added that border security and keeping their communities safe was her top priority.

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"As long as I’m Governor, I will do everything I can to keep Arizonans safe — even when the federal government fails to act," Hobbs said.

Gov. Hobbs' office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.