1 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: On this episode of Newsworld. On December ninth, two thousand 2 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,319 Speaker 1: and twenty one, when most of us were getting ready 3 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: for the upcoming holidays, the town of Yuma, Arizona, was 4 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: facing a tough challenge the surge of migrants crossing the 5 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: US Mexico border. Yuma's Mayor, Douglas Nichols, announced a state 6 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: of emergency over the border crisis. In October and November 7 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: of two thousand and twenty, US Customs and Border Protection 8 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:36,520 Speaker 1: encountered one thousand, seven hundred and seventy seven people illegally 9 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: crossing the border into Huma. In two thousand and twenty one. 10 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: That number grew to forty four thousand, five hundred and 11 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:49,840 Speaker 1: twelve in the same two month period, a staggering two thousand, 12 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: four hundred and five percent increase, and Mayor Nichols expects 13 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: more than two hundred and fifty thousand migrants to cross 14 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: the border into Yuma in twenty twenty two to help 15 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: us understand more about the issues than Huma is facing. 16 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: I'm really pleased to welcome my guest, Mayor Douglas Nicholson. 17 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining me, Thank you for 18 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: having me on speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to kind 19 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: of give the Huma perspective. Let me start with a 20 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: sort of pre crisis question, because I'm always fascinated and 21 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,919 Speaker 1: of course the American system relies so heavily on local 22 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,839 Speaker 1: leadership and local government. What got you involved in running 23 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: for office and serving your community? Oh? Wow, it's a 24 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: little bit of long story, but I'll try to short 25 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: in a little bit. I grew up in Yuma. When 26 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: I was young, I didn't appreciate the community and looked 27 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: for my quickest way out, and that was college. And 28 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: then in college, my high school sweetheart and I stayed 29 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: together and we got married after college. She too grew 30 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: up in Yuma and was eager to leave. That was 31 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: until the first kid came along and we were living 32 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: in the Phoenix area, and that first kid, who's now 33 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: twenty four, changed our lives, changed our perspective on what 34 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 1: was important. We realized living in a community like Yuma, 35 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: where it's relatively safe, I can go to work and 36 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: go to the kids play in the middle of the day, 37 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 1: volunteer and do that without having to commit a whole 38 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: bunch of travel time and a whole bunch of resources 39 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 1: and catch up with our family who was still here. 40 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,959 Speaker 1: So we returned to Yuma in nineteen ninety nine, and 41 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: upon returning, made a promise to each other that we 42 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,679 Speaker 1: would do what we could to help our community on 43 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 1: all different levels, just make it better, give back to 44 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: the community that helped raise us. And with that I 45 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: joined Rotary and we've gotten really involved in our church 46 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 1: and such. And one day at Rotary, well, should let 47 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 1: you know. I'm a civil engineer by trade, so I 48 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: am a typical engineering that I prefer not to speak 49 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: in public and I prefer to talk to my shoes 50 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: and not to new people. But there was this opportunity 51 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: to take over for a council member who was leaving 52 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: their seat five months early, and I thought that would 53 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 1: be an interesting way to understand the community. Never had 54 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: a political motivation for any of it. It was just 55 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 1: more to understand when in did the five months, I 56 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:30,800 Speaker 1: got to go to Washington, DC, got to go to 57 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,799 Speaker 1: the state Capitol, did the advocacy, kind of saw how 58 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: things put together and basically saw the impact you could 59 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: have got out of that office. And during the next 60 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: mayor term, I was approached by some business leaders who 61 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: had gotten to know through all these philanthropic activities, and 62 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: they said, we want you to run from mayor and 63 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: I said, I don't know why, and they kind of 64 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: explained their reasons, which I wan't going to hear, but 65 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 1: it really fit into that early mission that Dinnette and 66 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: I my wife, committed to each other, and that was 67 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: to do our part to give back to the community. 68 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: And so I have my own small business, and if 69 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: the community is not growing and have solid leadership, my 70 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: business is not going to survive. And so we agreed 71 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: it would be something we would do one term at 72 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: a time. And well we're at the end of the 73 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: second term and it looks like we're gonna go for 74 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: a third. It just became for me another engineering problem. 75 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: There's things that need to get fixed. How do we 76 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 1: break down the parts, get it done, and move on 77 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: to the next thing and continue to look to move 78 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: the community forward. But I get the impression, if you 79 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: don't mind my ice commenting, that while you may have 80 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: been educated as a civil engineer, and you may have 81 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:46,039 Speaker 1: sort of an engineer's methodical approach to things, you're really 82 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,479 Speaker 1: an engineer who likes people. I do like people. I 83 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: will say, though at the very beginning, I was petrified 84 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: as speaking. I try to write every speech that didn't work. 85 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: My city administrator try to write a few speeches that 86 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 1: didn't work, and I just had to forced myself to 87 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: grow into talking in public, talking and national TV. Things 88 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: that would have scared me to death ten years ago. 89 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 1: I've gotten. I don't know if it's numb or used 90 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: to it, but one way or the other, it served me. Okay, 91 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: first of all, let me just ask you, is Yuma 92 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: the town and the county or how wide is the 93 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: connection there? So there's actually three things. When we say Yuma, 94 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: it could be it could be the city of Yuma, 95 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: could be the County of Yuma, or it could even 96 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 1: be the Yuma Board Patrol Sector, which doesn't exactly align. 97 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 1: So when we refer to migrants coming into Yuma, it's 98 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: the Yuma Board Patrol Sector. So it's a little bit confusing, 99 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: but that's the lay of the land. So you're the 100 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: mayor of the town of Yuma, which, as I understand 101 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: it has about ninety six thousand population. That's the census numbers, 102 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: which we disagree with. We think we're over one hundred thousand. 103 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 1: Abou one hundred and eight but yeah, it's in that ballpark. Okay, 104 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: but that would mean if you're correct in your projections, 105 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: the two hundred and fifty thousand migrants coming through a 106 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 1: one hundred thousand is a staggering burden. It is. And 107 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 1: if you compare that to the countywide, the county is 108 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: under two hundred and twenty thousand, so it even crests 109 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: the whole county. And so those numbers are they're daunting 110 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:17,360 Speaker 1: because if it gets to the point where it got 111 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 1: in the middle of December, where it's completely out of containment, 112 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,599 Speaker 1: then we're talking about thousands of people walking around the 113 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: community without resources or ability to get anywhere. And that's 114 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: why the emergency came out last one or two more questions. 115 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 1: You're about three hours southwest of Phoenix, is that right right? 116 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 1: We're right in the middle between Phoenix and San Diego 117 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: at the Arizona California border as well as a Mexico border, 118 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: so we're kind of tucked in the corner. About seventy 119 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: percent of our economy is agriculture, and we have two 120 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 1: military bases that makes up another good fifteen percent, and 121 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 1: on and on from there. But that's where we're located. 122 00:06:56,040 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: Geographically on the Colorado River. So the problem, which is 123 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: I thought sort of beginning to get under control, has 124 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: now really exploded. And apparently there was a five day 125 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: period in December we had over six thousand migrants across 126 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: the US Mexico border into Yuma. I mean, it's almost 127 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: like a wave of people. It is a wave. It 128 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: was a building wave, and that's part of what contributed 129 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: to the situation, as Board Patrol had these ever increasing 130 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 1: numbers and their capacity just was full. So when these 131 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 1: six thousand people hit, it was like trying to, you know, 132 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: shove a fire hoset through a straw. It just was 133 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: backing up. And what we had was people who normally 134 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: would be collected or picked up by border patrol waiting 135 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: along the border. They weren't seeing any Board patrol for 136 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 1: hours and hours and up to a day, and so 137 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: they just started walking into the community. It's about a 138 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: three mile walk before you hit the actual city, so 139 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 1: when you get that far and then you got to 140 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: find the border patrol station, and some of them mistook 141 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: the police station for that bordatrol station or firehouse. They'd 142 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: show up at our homeless shelters. So it was a 143 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: bit chaotic for two to three days of some heavy 144 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: foot traffic, and foot traffic is lightly because some of 145 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: them took ubers. Some of them called nine to one 146 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: one to try to get the police or sheriff to 147 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 1: give them a ride, but all of them were on 148 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 1: the move. At some point, I was just thinking, give 149 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: them what your summers get to be like in that 150 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: part of the country. If people come walking across in 151 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: one hundred and fifteen hundred and twenty degree weather, I mean, 152 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: isn't there a real health hazard to them? Very much so? 153 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 1: And they get abandoned frequently by the coyotes who bring 154 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 1: them across. So last year, I believe the number was 155 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: almost forty people perished in the desert trying to come 156 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: into the country. Border patrol becomes pretty much a life 157 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: safety rescue organization during the summer because when it's one 158 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty on the temperature bulb, it's you know, 159 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:08,079 Speaker 1: crusting one hundred and thirty and you can't possibly carry 160 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: enough water in some of the locations that people try 161 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: to cross walk. Me through this one, I was just 162 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:37,359 Speaker 1: at a very human kind of level. I'm sitting somewhere Haiti, Africa, 163 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:41,199 Speaker 1: you know, Guatemala, I decided to come to the US, 164 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 1: I probably end up hiring somebody, one of the cartels 165 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:49,199 Speaker 1: or somebody to help me get across. And I get across, 166 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 1: what am I thinking? Where do I think I'm going? Well, 167 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 1: so that's a great question because I think as Americans 168 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: a lot of times we romanticize this. I'm just gonna 169 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: take a lazy usually walk into the United States, and 170 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: everything's roses. What happens is you engage with the cartel 171 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: or they convince you to go, and they're going to 172 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:14,199 Speaker 1: charge you between seven and fifteen thousand dollars per person. Okay, 173 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: if you're sitting in a third world country, you probably 174 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: don't have that in your back pocket. So you're going 175 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: to end up owing the cartels that it's not a 176 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: group I'd want to owe fifty cents too much, less 177 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: thousands of dollars too And everywhere along the way you 178 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:33,679 Speaker 1: pay another toll. So if you're coming up from Central 179 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: America or South America, there's some pretty rough area there. 180 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 1: So there's some tour guides in air quotes that will 181 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 1: help you through for the right dollar amount. There's some 182 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: places that the cartels have set up for you. To 183 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: stay at and get fed at. But all of that 184 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 1: costs money. And the reason why Yuma, particularly right now, 185 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:58,079 Speaker 1: is having these high numbers is because the wall system 186 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 1: between here and the Pacific Ocean is fairly well complete, 187 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: so there's nowhere to cross easily west of us, so 188 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 1: we're the first opportunity they have. And along the border, 189 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: every segment of the border is owned by a Plaza Bus, 190 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: which is part of the cartel but runs a different 191 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: part of the business, and they have different relationships with 192 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:26,440 Speaker 1: different cartels and different subgroups in the cartels, and that's 193 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,719 Speaker 1: how they kind of put the travel arrangements together. So 194 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 1: we have found airline tickets from always far as India 195 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:38,480 Speaker 1: or Asia where they fly to Mexico City. Then they 196 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:41,320 Speaker 1: fly from Mexico City to Mexicali, which is forty miles 197 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 1: from here, and then they cross into Yuma and then 198 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:48,320 Speaker 1: normally the plan is to get picked up by border 199 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: patrol because after about two to three days they will 200 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: issue you in order to appear for a court date 201 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 1: for immigration, and then they release you on your own 202 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: recognizes to go to a host. Ideally, the host is 203 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: supposed to be family member, brother, a mother, or something 204 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 1: like that usually it's a member of the cartel, and 205 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 1: so they pick you back up on the other end, 206 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 1: and you owe them ten fifteen thousand dollars or whatever 207 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: it is at the end of the trip, and so 208 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: now they're going to make sure that whatever you're doing, 209 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: they're either getting paid back. That's kind of the process 210 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 1: to be frank I don't know a single American who 211 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:30,079 Speaker 1: think that's the right process for immigration, but that is 212 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: the actual process that's happening. My wife Calissa, when she 213 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: was the ambassador to the Vatican, spent a substantial amount 214 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: of time on the whole issue of human trafficking, and 215 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: I've heard various reports about the degree to which one 216 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:47,520 Speaker 1: of the ways people pay back the debt is either 217 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:51,319 Speaker 1: going into prostitution or in some other form of human trafficking. 218 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 1: Do you get much sense of that as they come 219 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,559 Speaker 1: across the border. We do. And when I say we 220 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: borderfhol doesn't talk. So this is some people who have 221 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: interviewed people that have come across the border, but some 222 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 1: people that are trying to get their family to come across, 223 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:09,640 Speaker 1: and so they actually stay in Mexico and prostitute themselves 224 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: in order to get enough money to pay the cartels 225 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 1: to give people to cross. You hear routinely about abuse 226 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: and rape as they're coming across, and we have an 227 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: advocacy center here who's completely powerless. They can take the report, 228 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:27,720 Speaker 1: but it all happened in another country and there's no 229 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:32,960 Speaker 1: way to help the victims. There's extortion, kidnapping. Sometimes they'll 230 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 1: have people rent their kids out, essentially send them. Once 231 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: they get into the country, they'll send them as just 232 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: an individual child back to Mexico to come across with 233 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 1: another family that pays about four to five hundred dollars 234 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: off their tab. But now this kid is being retrafficked 235 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:51,599 Speaker 1: for the second time or fourth time, and this is 236 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:55,560 Speaker 1: a repeating thing to come into the country, assuming border 237 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: troll doesn't figure out that that's not really the parents. 238 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: So you get like in October November of last year, 239 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 1: forty four thousand, five hundred people. How many of them 240 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 1: stay in Yuma and where did the rest of them go? 241 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 1: So very few stay in Yuma. I'm not actually aware 242 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 1: of any of them who have stayed in Yuma. They're 243 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: usually headed to the southeast part of the country, even 244 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 1: though they came from Haiti or Cuba. They'll fly all 245 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 1: the way across the continent just to traverse all the 246 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: way back across the continent. They'll go any place in 247 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: the country. Actually, i've heard in Massachusetts. There's quite a 248 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 1: bit of activity state of Washington. So it is a 249 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 1: border problem, but it's also a whole country problem because 250 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: it's not two hundred and fifty thousand people. I'm afraid 251 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: they're going to take up residents in Yuma. It's two 252 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: hundred fifty thousand people who are gonna be coming through 253 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 1: Yuma on their way to the other forty nine states. 254 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: I've been trying to rustle with us for a couple 255 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: of weeks now that you've had well over almost two 256 00:14:56,000 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: million people now who've come across illegally since January of 257 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: two and twenty one, and I can't figure out where 258 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: they're going. And apparently the US government refuses to say 259 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 1: where they're going, right, And the reality is they know 260 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:15,680 Speaker 1: because before someone can be released upon their own recogniances, 261 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: they have to give a destination. They have to say 262 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: who's the host family, because that's how they set where 263 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 1: their immigration court's going to be. So they don't make 264 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: them come back to Yuma for immigration court or to Arizona. 265 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: If they're in Georgia, they go see immigration proceedings whatever's 266 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: close to where they are in Georgia. So they just 267 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: kind of have melded into the fabric of the country. 268 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 1: We suspect there's compounds of workers of people, and I 269 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: believe it's twenty sixteen. The Huma Sector Board patrol agents 270 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:50,640 Speaker 1: followed a group in this process. They all were headed 271 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: to I don't remember the state, but it was in 272 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: southeast part of the country. They were supposedly completely unrelated, 273 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: didn't know each other, and when they landed in hot 274 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: out of the airplane, they all got picked up by 275 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: the same van. The van drove down the road a 276 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 1: little bit, pulled over and this was back when we 277 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 1: were putting GPS anklets on everyone. They threw out the 278 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 1: GPS anklets and they threw out the paperwork. Well, that 279 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 1: paperwork is their only proof that they're in this country legally. 280 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 1: And then they got back in the van and they 281 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: drove to a compound of some mobile trailers. So essentially 282 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: what they've done is they've made them invisible because without 283 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 1: having that paper you can exploit them, but they're not 284 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 1: going to run to tell the cops. Because they think 285 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 1: they're going to be repatriated without their hearing, because they 286 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 1: don't have that paperwork anymore. So it's a great way 287 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: to exploit people. It's a great way to traffic people, 288 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: and we've facilitated that as a country if you really 289 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: step back and look at it. So when they leave, 290 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 1: how many of them are like in private vehicles, How 291 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 1: many of them are like on buses or trains? How 292 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 1: are they physically an out The overwhelming majority is buses 293 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,439 Speaker 1: and planes. Every once in a while you'll have a 294 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:07,640 Speaker 1: relative or someone who claims to be a relative show 295 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: up and pick somebody up directly. But for the most part, 296 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:14,480 Speaker 1: right now, almost everyone's leaving on a plane, which is 297 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,160 Speaker 1: interesting perspective in a change from what we saw even 298 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: in twenty nineteen when we had a surge. During that time, 299 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 1: we had definitely poor people coming through. In twenty nineteen, 300 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 1: twenty twenty one, twenty two, people are coming across with 301 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: Gucci bags. They're coming across with a lot more resources. 302 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: Everyone's got a phone. Actually, they're coming across with three 303 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:43,080 Speaker 1: or four bags, like they're getting on an airplane. So 304 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 1: it's definitely kind of a different mix than what we're 305 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 1: used to locally, but of course the numbers are dramatically different, 306 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: so they're actually paying for their own tickets. It's not 307 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 1: the US government shipping them around. That's my understanding. I've 308 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:58,400 Speaker 1: heard rumors contrary to that, but I've not been able 309 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: to confirm that the government's paying for You clearly had 310 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:27,360 Speaker 1: an impact, at least in terms of national media when 311 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: you declared an emergency, and I know that Governor Doucy 312 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: has come down and the Center of Kelly's gotten involved. 313 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:36,640 Speaker 1: Has anything actually happened? I mean, there's the federal government 314 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 1: been responsive to your expression of concern. Well, there's been 315 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:43,640 Speaker 1: a little bit of activity. We had the new Commissioner 316 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,879 Speaker 1: of CBP come here, Mangus, and he's just gotten on 317 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 1: the job, so he's been on the job three weeks 318 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 1: when he showed up. That's the highest ranking official we've 319 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 1: had that's met with the community on this since January 320 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:02,200 Speaker 1: of twenty one. We did have in ten extra agents 321 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:04,679 Speaker 1: surge to the border. They came from the northern border 322 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 1: where the activities a lot less, and they repositioned them 323 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: here for a time. And now there is active discussions 324 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: about closing up some of the gaps in the fence. 325 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:19,159 Speaker 1: We have fifty two gates not installed. And when I 326 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: say gates, think of Jurassic Park gates. They're huge, and 327 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:26,199 Speaker 1: seven miles of fence not constructed. We also have the 328 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 1: majority of the technical side not activated. So there's been 329 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:34,880 Speaker 1: discussions I've had with the Secretary's office about patching that up, 330 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:36,679 Speaker 1: and there's been a lot of other discussions going on 331 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:39,680 Speaker 1: about the same thing. I read when you made your statement. 332 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:43,239 Speaker 1: I read that there were these gates. So you have 333 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 1: a wall, but they have a totally open gate. I mean, 334 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 1: it's fairly hard to be dumber than this. When you 335 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:52,840 Speaker 1: talk to them about that and show them that, I mean, 336 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:56,440 Speaker 1: what's their argument for not just putting on the gates. Well, 337 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:58,880 Speaker 1: I don't press them on an argument, because I think 338 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:01,440 Speaker 1: that's taken by the President when the President signed the 339 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 1: executive order to suspend all the construction. But so it 340 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:06,679 Speaker 1: depends on who you're talking to. If you're talking to 341 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:12,000 Speaker 1: the politically appointed official, they've got a political answer. If 342 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 1: you're talking to a lifelong DHS employee, they're a bit 343 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: more sympathetic because they've been there, they've understand what's going on. 344 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,400 Speaker 1: But again, it came out of the White House, so 345 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:28,160 Speaker 1: they're not going to readily counteract or countermand anything coming 346 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: from the White House. So if you could wave a 347 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 1: magic one, because you're living this, I mean you're right there, 348 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:36,160 Speaker 1: you're at the heart of the action. If you could 349 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:39,479 Speaker 1: wave a magic one, how would you solve it? Wow, 350 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:43,400 Speaker 1: that's a big Wand we would definitely start with finishing 351 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:46,159 Speaker 1: off the barriers. You know, you need to have the 352 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,120 Speaker 1: gates put in place. You need to have as much 353 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:53,159 Speaker 1: as you can get fixed, including electronics in the surveillance side, 354 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:55,439 Speaker 1: and you need to have more agents until this thing 355 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,239 Speaker 1: settles down. You know, the border of Trolls mission is 356 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: border security, it's not gration security. And so they have 357 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 1: not been able to do their mission for almost a year. 358 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:07,439 Speaker 1: They need to be able to do their mission. So 359 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:10,360 Speaker 1: we need to find a mechanism to get them back 360 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: to their mission and someone else handling immigration ultimately, though, 361 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:17,520 Speaker 1: and you speaker know this better than I, it needs 362 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 1: to come from Congress. We need to have some stronger 363 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: and updated immigration rules that are then followed by strong 364 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: policy that gives the authority to our boots on the 365 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,440 Speaker 1: ground to get things done the way they should be done. 366 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:36,480 Speaker 1: To support the laws without border security, and then without 367 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 1: reformed policy and legislation, I don't see this really dramatically 368 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: changing any direction. Now, you do have a problem of 369 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:49,679 Speaker 1: shure numbers. But do folks in Huma feel endangered or 370 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 1: do they feel insecure? You know, in general, because border 371 00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:57,920 Speaker 1: patrol does such a great job of containing everything, they 372 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: generally do not. Now, there are some that live close 373 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 1: to the border that have hired some security and those 374 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,440 Speaker 1: kind of things just on the chance that something were 375 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: to happen. And we've seen some increase on some of 376 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: the local petty crime as far as you know, some 377 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:17,160 Speaker 1: fights and those kind of things that the shelters. But 378 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 1: for the most part, the average person who lives in 379 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:24,359 Speaker 1: Yuma doesn't have direct engagement, maybe until just this last 380 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: month month and a half with people walking on the streets. 381 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 1: That's a little bit different, But I've not heard too much. 382 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:33,200 Speaker 1: I mean, that's part of the ying and the yang 383 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 1: of this discussion is when I declare an emergency and 384 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,119 Speaker 1: I make a big deal out of it, it sounds 385 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 1: like Yuma's over ran to the point of you know, 386 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:45,159 Speaker 1: having police on the corner and on every corner to 387 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: try to keep law and order that's not the case. 388 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: Yuma's still a great place to live, to visit. I 389 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,160 Speaker 1: haven't changed any of the way I live, and I'm 390 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:55,160 Speaker 1: not concerned about, you know, my kids doing what they've 391 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 1: been doing. So it's not that security risk, but it 392 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 1: could give that perception, Ashleyne, that that's what's going on. 393 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:05,120 Speaker 1: It's fascinating and of course, as you were saying, as 394 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:09,160 Speaker 1: they immigrants who camme in have changed from the much 395 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 1: poorer immigrants we saw a few years ago. I loved 396 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: your one line to people who come in with their 397 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:18,119 Speaker 1: Gucci bag, they probably aren't a threat as such. I 398 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 1: don't think I ever quite imagined I'd live in the 399 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: world as it's been evolving. I'm sure when you ran 400 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:27,159 Speaker 1: from Maratha the first time, you had no notion that 401 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: this was all going to come down on you. No, 402 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: not at all. And between the pandemic and two migrant emergencies, 403 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 1: I'm good for normal year or two. I would love 404 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: to have something like that, I will mention. So we 405 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: talk about the vast numbers of people coming through, there's 406 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: about a five to ten segment of the people coming 407 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:51,679 Speaker 1: through that look to evade. They are the ones we 408 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:53,760 Speaker 1: have to worry about and the only way you can 409 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 1: address that is with the secure border, which is again 410 00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: what borderfille is supposed to be doing. Because of the 411 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:03,080 Speaker 1: running the drugs, they're the ones involved in picking up 412 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 1: people for the sex trade, for running the money, or 413 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:10,200 Speaker 1: criminals coming into the country. You can't catch those people 414 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,119 Speaker 1: when you're tied up with people who only want an 415 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 1: immigration change. And that's a huge concern. If anything should 416 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 1: concern people, that should concern people. We caught someone on 417 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 1: the Terrace watch list here a couple of weeks ago 418 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 1: coming through the border troll station. That's not you know, 419 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,120 Speaker 1: your farmer from Ecuador try to make a better living. 420 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:33,199 Speaker 1: They've got a briefing a few weeks ago that you 421 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:40,399 Speaker 1: now have pattern from Haiti into Brazil and also i 422 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,879 Speaker 1: think from Haiti to Ecuador, which does not require a 423 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:46,160 Speaker 1: visa as long as you have a passport, and then 424 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:49,439 Speaker 1: you move north to Columbia, then across the jungle to 425 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:52,639 Speaker 1: Panama and so forth. Then there's a second track which 426 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 1: comes from West Africa across into Brazil, and then there's 427 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 1: the classic track which comes straight up Central America and 428 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:06,520 Speaker 1: which has a substantial number of Hondurans and Guatemalans and 429 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:12,400 Speaker 1: El Salvadorians, but it's much more complex, much more sophisticated. 430 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,160 Speaker 1: I had an expert from gallip who has lived in 431 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: Costa Rica for the last thirty years, who was describing 432 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 1: the decision of some of the cartels to give up 433 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:28,880 Speaker 1: drugs for people and to specialize in becoming people movers, 434 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:31,439 Speaker 1: and in Mexico, to run sort of the equivalent of 435 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:35,200 Speaker 1: an airbnb, so that as you're going north, they'll actually 436 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: stop and you'll stay at some place and they'll feed 437 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:40,399 Speaker 1: you and take care of you. And they actually have 438 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 1: people who will come along and say, now, has your 439 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,480 Speaker 1: trip been okay? Are we doing all right by you? 440 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 1: Do you have any complaints? But the other side that 441 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: is they said an amazing number of places, like a 442 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 1: long Island, there will be specific designated stores and you 443 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: will have arrived owing six thousand dollars because you're uncle 444 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 1: has said that he would make sure you got a job. 445 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:06,720 Speaker 1: So you go every month to that store and you 446 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 1: pay the amount UO on your total debt. And in 447 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:14,399 Speaker 1: dealing with the cartel, the incentive program for paying is 448 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 1: very high. It's called life. But this whole thing now 449 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:23,359 Speaker 1: is a system that's just astonishing. They estimate the Yuma sector, 450 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:27,920 Speaker 1: the border full Umu sector alone experiences over sixteen million 451 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 1: dollars a week in business. Wow. So just that's one 452 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty mile section of the southern border produces 453 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: sixteen million. That's over eight hundred million a year just 454 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,560 Speaker 1: in that one second. It's tough to turn that spicket off, right. Yeah, 455 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:46,159 Speaker 1: there's going to be people who are going to be 456 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:48,800 Speaker 1: adamantly against that, which is I don't know how that 457 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 1: works in the equation, but I think that has an 458 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:54,439 Speaker 1: influence on the path to the United States. Well, and 459 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: then as you pointed out there the people, if you 460 00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 1: think of it as a river, there are people in 461 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 1: the middle of the river who are bringing fentanel and 462 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:06,000 Speaker 1: they're bringing cocaine, and they're bringing heroin, or they're bringing terrorists. 463 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 1: I mean, there's a lot of complexities to what's going on. Well, 464 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:12,119 Speaker 1: I Sten, I want to thank you. You're terrific. I'm delighted. 465 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,760 Speaker 1: You're exactly what America needs. We are only as strong 466 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:18,840 Speaker 1: as our local governments and our local leaders, and the 467 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:21,680 Speaker 1: great strength of this country has not ever been in Washington, 468 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: It's actually been out across the whole country, and I 469 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,560 Speaker 1: really want to wish you and the citizens of Yuma 470 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:31,600 Speaker 1: terrific year. You're showing great courage. It was very important 471 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:33,760 Speaker 1: that you spoke out when you did. I hope the 472 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:37,119 Speaker 1: federal government will assist you, and I appreciate you're helping 473 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:39,679 Speaker 1: educate the country on what's going on. Well, thank you 474 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: very much the opportunity. It's a pleasure and honor to 475 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:46,120 Speaker 1: meet you, and just knowing that we're not out here 476 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:49,439 Speaker 1: alone finding our own battles, that there's people across the 477 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:52,240 Speaker 1: country that understand and want to understand more. Thank you 478 00:27:52,320 --> 00:28:00,640 Speaker 1: very much for everything. Thank you to my guest Mayor, 479 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:04,000 Speaker 1: Douglas Nichols. You can learn more about human Arizona and 480 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:08,200 Speaker 1: the migrant surge on our showpage at newtsworld dot com. 481 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 1: NEWTS World is produced by Gingwish three sixty and iHeartMedia. 482 00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:16,920 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Garnsey Slum, our producer is Rebecca Howe, 483 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 1: and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the 484 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:24,879 Speaker 1: show was created by Steve Penley. Special thanks to the 485 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:28,440 Speaker 1: team at Gingrich three sixty. If you've been enjoying Newtsworld, 486 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 1: I hope you'll go to Apple podcast and both rate 487 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:34,679 Speaker 1: us with five stars and give us a review so 488 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 1: others can learn what it's all about. Right now, listeners 489 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:41,000 Speaker 1: of news World can sign up for my three free 490 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 1: weekly columns at Gingridge three sixty dot com slash newsletter. 491 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 1: I'm Newtgangridge. This is Newtsworld