President Biden criticized by some for not visiting the border during Arizona trip

YUMA, Ariz. - President Joe Biden is making his fourth trip to Arizona this week.

He's expected to deliver a democracy-focused speech and pay tribute to the late Arizona Senator John McCain on Thursday, Sept. 28.

But, Arizona officials are wondering why he's not leaving the Valley and heading to the border.

"I’ve invited him several times to come and see for himself the challenges that he has created in border communities," says Yuma County Supervisor Jonathan Lines.

The Yuma sector has seen some of its highest numbers of illegal crossings over the last two and a half years, and local officials say the president is nowhere to be found.

"I don’t believe he’s gotten within 200 miles of the international crossings," Lines said.

While there are issues across the state, Arizona leaders on a state and local level have called the crisis at the border one of their top concerns.

"It’s highly disappointing that the president gets this close to the border and continues to pretty much ignore the situation," says Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls.

Each sector deals with its own unique problems.

Last week, half of Customs and Border Patrol agents at the ports were instructed to help border patrol agents monitor the open areas of the border where illegal crossings happen.

However, the mayor of Nogales in the Tucson sector says it took away needed personnel at his ports.

"Mariposa shut down from 8 lanes to 4 lanes. DeConcini dropped from 4 lanes to 2 lanes and that increased our crossing time to double, almost triple," said Nogales Mayor Jorge Maldonado about the ports of entry.

Nogales relies on commerce between Mexico and the U.S. to sustain its local economy. With wait times for importers or shoppers now reaching two or even three hours, Maldonado says he's worried about the long-term effects.

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"We’re a big commercial importer of fresh fruits and vegetables. They’re gonna be hurting," Maldonado said. "We’re barely starting our season."

Before heading to Arizona, Biden will spend two days in San Francisco. While there, he will host a meeting of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which focuses on developing policies on innovation.

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The president, who formalized his reelection bid in April, is also participating in a blitz of fundraisers before the end of the third quarter this month. He will headline three fundraisers in California and one in Arizona during his trip, according to the White House.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.