SAHUARITA, Ariz. (NewsNation) — Members of the House Judiciary Committee are going to Sahuarita, Arizona, on Friday for a field hearing to examine the effects of the U.S.-Mexico border crisis on local communities.
Lawmakers will hear from four local witnesses, including a retired chief Border Patrol agent and a mother who lost two sons to fentanyl overdose. Jill Fagan Alexander gave emotional testimony about the loss of her son, who died after taking just one pill for what she believed was the first time.
The growing number of migrant encounters at the southern border has spurred major political debate and divide.
A new poll revealed border security is a top issue for voters in the 2024 election. But while politicians discuss border policy to bolster support, officials at the border are facing the crisis on the front lines daily.
Arizona leads US in migrant encounters
Despite a recent uptick in apprehensions on the West Coast, southeastern Arizona continues to lead the nation in migrant encounters this fiscal year.
Border Patrol agents in the Tucson Sector have encountered 373,242 migrants this year, including 31,240 in April, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data through March 31 and April numbers obtained by NewsNation.
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels says transnational criminal organizations who help migrants cross the border from Mexico shift their operations to other areas of the border whenever law enforcement in the U.S. pours resources into any one area.
On the ground in Nogales
Just this week, NewsNation crews in Nogales, Arizona, walked through a tunnel and realized just how quick and easy it is to get into Mexico.
Families could be seen sleeping on sidewalks, waiting on the Mexican side of the border for appointments to enter the United States.
One person said they have been waiting six months to get into the U.S. Another told NewsNation they’ve been waiting for 10 days.
When asked why not just walk across, they said they were “waiting their turn” and wanted to do the right thing by going through a port of entry.
And while many migrants wait their turn, many other immigrants do not — entering the United States illegally.
Politics continue in Washington
The Biden administration announced a new rule Thursday that aims to speed up asylum processing at the southern border. The rule enables the system to quickly reject a limited group of people believed to have committed serious crimes or who have terrorist links.
The change comes as the administration has been struggling to demonstrate to voters during an election where immigration is a key issue that it has a handle on the southern border. Republicans have consistently slammed the Biden administration over policies that they say have worsened problems at the southern border.
A group of House Democrats even wrote a letter to the president urging him to use all the tools at his disposal, including executive action, to address border security.
A bipartisan border deal collapsed earlier this year and talks remain stalled on Capitol Hill.
The Associated Press and NewsNation’s Brian Entin contributed to this report.