By admin 
SAN LUIS, AZ (AZFamily) — The fight over mail service in San Luis, in Arizona’s far southwest corner, is continuing as U.S. Postal Service officials add resources at the local post office and lawmakers keep pressing for more long-term fixes.
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USPS says it plans to add about 100 parcel lockers and install a self-service kiosk at the San Luis Post Office to expand secure package pickup and offer options such as purchasing postage and completing select transactions. The post office is also adjusting retail hours by opening 30 minutes earlier.
Some residents said the changes could help in the short term but won’t solve the larger problem, particularly during seasonal surges.
“I think it might work now but when the seasonal people that work starts around November, it will become a problem because the line here it’s just wild,” said Alexia Camarena, a San Luis resident.
Camarena said the earlier opening time may still not work for residents who are juggling jobs and family responsibilities.
“It’s kind of hard sometimes when you have to juggle work and stuff and I have to rush to the mail because sometimes like the office closes like around 4:45,” she said.
Other residents said they are glad the issue continues to be discussed at the Arizona Capitol. Still, they believe a broader solution is needed — including installing mailboxes outside homes so people don’t have to rely as heavily on in-person pickup.
“[I] have to stop from doing my work just to come and pick up my mail — it would be great to have a mailbox outside my home to receive my packages and letters,” said Gerardo Hernandez, a San Luis resident, through an interpreter.
Another resident, Jesus Villa, said home delivery boxes would help ease traffic and lines at the post office.
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“It will be good to have a mailbox at home — and to have the mailman leaving your mail at home… I think it will help everyone in San Luis,” Villa said through an interpreter.
Last month, U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego took the issue to Washington, urging the U.S. Postmaster General to address what residents describe as a years-long problem. In a statement provided to Arizona’s Family on Tuesday, Gallego said he would continue pressing USPS for improvements.
“While these improvements are a step in the right direction, more remains to be done to ensure USPS meets its universal service obligation and the residents of San Luis get the timely mail delivery they deserve. I’ll continue working with the Postmaster General and holding USPS accountable so that no San Luis resident is stuck waiting.”
Representative Adelita Grijalva also sent us a statement.
“For families in San Luis, something as simple as checking the mailbox means making a time-consuming trip just to receive a Social Security check, prescription medication, or ballot in the mail. While I welcome USPS’s recent improvements to make the San Luis Post Office more accessible, this does not solve the underlying problem. The people of San Luis deserve reliable home mail delivery, just like residents of similarly sized communities across the country. If funding is the issue, the Trump administration should be investing in basic postal services for our communities instead of expensive White House ballrooms or endless wars abroad.”
USPS said the post office will begin opening 30 minutes earlier, while the kiosk and additional lockers still need to be installed. Some residents said they are encouraged that attention is being paid to their border community and hope more changes are coming.
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