Arizona leaders want Mexicans with border crossing cards to be able to visit more of the Grand Canyon state. They still need President Donald Trump to sign the federal spending bill that he’s suggested he may veto.
Mexicans with border crossing cards can’t go past Tucson or Yuma. But there’s been a yearslong effort to get them cleared to travel statewide.
A signed spending bill opens the door to a test program. And a boost to the economy, said Nathan Pryor, policy and government relations director with the Maricopa Association of Governments.
“Especially in terms of pandemic recovery,” Pryor said. “This is a tourism opportunity. Come to spring training games. See a concert in the Phoenix area. Go skiing at Snowbowl. See the Grand Canyon.”
People with border crossing cards could also travel throughout New Mexico.
“We’ve proposed three to five years as a pilot program. So we’ll be working with Customs and Border Protection to get their thoughts on that,” Pryor said.
