Yavapai News

U.S. Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) has criticized the Biden administration for "rolling out the red carpet for folks all over the world, not just in Mexico, to come to our southern border and to cross illegally into the United States."

"We're doing a border tour with some congressional members down here in El Paso," Crane said in an Instagram post from the U.S.-Mexico border. "We were just in the holding facility on the U.S. side and we saw a room full of probably 40, 50 individuals. The vast majority weren't family members or unaccompanied minors. The vast majority of them appeared to be what we would call 'military age males.' 

"They appear to be between 18 and 45," he added. "These guys have their hands full down here and it's because of the Biden administration and their unwillingness to enforce any of the laws on the books and basically rolling out the red carpet for folks all over the world, not just in Mexico, to come to our southern border and to cross illegally into the United States. It's a damn shame."

According to a news release announcing his appointment to the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee in January, Crane said, "Democrats’ open border policies have created a completely avoidable national crisis. Since President Biden took office, there have been more than 4.3 million illegal crossings at the Southern border. While troubling, it isn’t shocking. Biden stopped construction of the border wall, halted deportations, and suspended 'Remain in Mexico.' 

"As illegal crossings increase, the amount of fentanyl flooding into our communities is also rising," he added. "Drug overdose, largely fueled by fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for adults 18-45-years-old."

Crane, 43, was first elected to represent Arizona’s Second Congressional District in Nov. 2023. He defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleren (D-Prescott), winning 54 percent to O’Halleran’s 46 percent.  

A Yuma native, Crane graduated from Cibola High School and attended Arizona Western and University of Arizona before dropping out a week after the September 11 attacks to enlist in the U.S. Navy. He served as a Navy SEAL from 2001-2014.

Arizona’s Second Congressional District includes all of northeast Arizona, including Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott, Grand Canyon National Park, and the Navajo Indian Reservation as well as Maricopa, Casa Grande, Coolidge and Florence in south suburban Phoenix.