A group of Republican lawmakers led by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy are in Cochise County on Thursday to meet with law enforcement officials and other local representatives.
The delegation includes freshman Congressman Juan Ciscomani of southern Arizona, and it comes as issues, like pandemic-era border asylum restrictions and legislation for "Dreamers," are front and center for both parties.
Ciscomani says border and immigration issues are interrelated, but they should also be looked at separately.
"When I look at the border, and I’ve said this before, we can look at the immigration side of it, we can look at the trade and commerce side of it, and we can also look at the border security side of it," he said.
Ciscomani said this visit will focus on fentanyl and border security. The lawmakers will meet with leaders in Cochise County before getting an aerial tour of the border.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, the majority of fentanyl at the border is smuggled into the U.S. through Ports of Entry, rather than between them.
