Grand Canyon Times

Kari Lake, a candidate for the Arizona Senate, has expressed concerns about the state of the border in Arizona, stating that border patrol resources are being overwhelmed and labeling it a national emergency. Lake's statement comes as Arizona is experiencing 16-year highs in migrant apprehensions.

Lake highlighted the alarming number of illegal immigrants being caught breaking into the Tucson Border Sector, stating, "Over just 28 days, 49,000 illegal immigrants were caught breaking into the Tucson Border Sector. That's more than the entire population of Santa Cruz County, AZ." She emphasized that this situation constitutes a national emergency and that border patrol is being overwhelmed.

The border crisis is ongoing and continues to impact border towns in multiple states. Nogales and Lukeville in Arizona have seen large numbers of migrant crossings, often resulting in dangerous situations and casualties. Since President Joe Biden assumed office, close to 4 million individuals have crossed the border, according to National Review.

Lawmakers have expressed mounting concerns about various critical issues stemming from the ongoing border situation. These issues include human and drug smuggling, as well as the growing influence of cartels in the region. In July, there was a surge in unauthorized border crossings, particularly concentrated in the Tucson region, with up to 2,000 migrants crossing per day. Border Patrol authorities reported a record-breaking number of nearly 40,000 apprehensions, as reported by CBS.

Recent events, such as the assault by Hamas on Israel, have raised worries about border security. Former President Donald Trump and others have expressed concerns about a possible connection between the potential plans of Hamas terrorists and the ongoing border crisis in the US, according to Newsweek.

In Arizona, the number of migrants arriving as families has increased by over 126% from June to August. Border Patrol reported encountering 93,108 migrant families arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border in August. These individuals have the opportunity to stay in the country for up to two years, subject to the presence of a U.S. sponsor, background checks, and the completion of necessary applications, as reported by AZ Central.

Encounters in the Tucson Sector of the Border Patrol reached the highest level in 16 years in August, with a 24% increase from July. These encounters involved migrants arriving from various countries, including Ecuador and India. The majority of them were family units, according to AZPM News.

Individuals on the ground have documented the situation at the border. Ben Bergquam, Founder of Frontline America, shared footage on Platform X while visiting the Lukeville border, saying, "One van down, here comes your new neighbors, America. They're loading those vans up and taking them to the Ajo Border Patrol station to process them. That means Border Patrol is not on the line out here to the west or out to the east, which allows the cartels to do everything else they want."

Bergquam also expressed concern about the recent attacks in Israel and the potential national security threat posed by the ongoing border crisis. He urged people to share the footage and help raise awareness about this issue.

The situation at the Arizona border continues to escalate, with high numbers of migrant apprehensions, overwhelmed border patrol resources, and mounting concerns about security and criminal activities.