“Arizona rancher highlights border crisis, urges action against smuggling and illegal crossings.”
A fifth-generation rancher from Arizona echoed his state’s Democratic governor in urging action on the Mexican border, suspecting that the rampant illegal crossings and smuggling on his ranch are orchestrated diversions by cartels, diverting federal authorities’ attention. Jim Chilton, who owns a significant portion of borderland near Arivaca, Arizona, highlighted the absence of border agents on his property for three months, contrasting it with the daily influx of illegal migrants elsewhere that agents attend to.
Chilton asserted that cartels control all smuggling and foot traffic on both sides of the border, emphasizing the dangers and implications of this lack of control. He expressed concerns about the potential for the border to be exploited by terrorists and shared the Border Patrol’s estimation that about 20% of those crossing are carrying drugs.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, who won against former journalist Kari Lake, demanded over $512 million in reimbursement for federal border inaction in a letter to President Biden. Chilton criticized the federal border patrol operations, labeling them as diversions and highlighting the unsecured gaps allowing undocumented individuals to enter.
Representative Andy Biggs posted photos of the crisis at Lukeville, Arizona, underscoring the severity of the situation. Chilton urged the federal government to complete the border wall and deploy the military to repel potential threats like terrorists and drug smugglers.
He drew a comparison between Ellis Island in New York Harbor, where legal immigration once thrived, to the current border situation, advocating for lawful entry into the U.S. and emphasizing the need to follow legal processes.
Chilton contrasted the stringent health screenings and documentation checks at Ellis Island for seafaring immigrants with the porousness of the southern border, where many enter illicitly, stressing the importance of upholding the law in immigration processes.
