New Border Patrol station proposed for Sonoita area | Top Stories

SONOITA, Ariz. (KVOA) – U.S. Customs and Border Protection is considering building a second Border Patrol station in the Sonoita area, sparking divided opinions among residents about what the facility could mean for the community.

Some residents say the proposed station could bring more jobs to the area. Others question whether another station is necessary.

Valerie Hing has lived in Sonoita for more than four decades. She says she doesn’t see the need for another Border Patrol station.

“I mean we already have a station here, and I am not really sure how they serve the community, but it doesn’t seem like they do,” Hing said. “They just keep a lot of vehicles there that don’t seem to be doing much. It is just a waste of tax dollars.”

CBP says the purpose of the proposed station would be to accommodate more agents and personnel and enhance border security in the area. The agency is considering two locations.

The first is about four miles southeast of Sonoita and would cover roughly 40 acres. The second is near the intersection of State Routes 82 and 83 and would cover about 76 acres.

It’s unclear whether that would be an expansion of the existing station in that area or a separate facility nearby. Santa Cruz County District 3 Supervisor John Fanning is asking CBP to consider how a new station could impact the community, including the local economy, Sonoita’s appearance and air quality.

Fanning also wants residents to have a say before anything is finalized.

“Many of them don’t live in the area, but the constituents that live in that area have to deal with that on a daily basis,” Fanning said. “They can’t go to work for 8-10 hours like our men and women in green and then go home. That is their home.”

Ty Barton, a longtime Sonoita resident, says a new station could be good for the area and the local economy.

“I think it might be good for more jobs here in Sonoita, more people renting what houses are left out here to rent, for the people who do rent out here,” Barton said. “It might be a good thing.”

There’s no final decision on whether this station will be built or where it would go. There’s no timeline for when construction could begin.