Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to visit the Arizona border in Douglas on Friday, but some local ranchers, like Tyler Klump, are criticizing her for only now appearing to care about the border crisis. Klump, whose cattle ranch is a hotspot for illegal crossings from Mexico, believes Harris is only making the visit because of the upcoming elections. Klump feels that Harris is not addressing illegal immigration properly, as it has increased during her time in office.
Harris, as part of the Biden administration, had been tasked with addressing the root causes of migration to help stop illegal crossings at the border. However, during her time in office, millions of illegal migrants have still crossed the border. Klump accuses Harris of inadvertently hurting the country with illegal immigration. Despite references to her experience as a prosecutor in California and pledges to sign a border bill, Harris has only made one visit to the border during her time as vice president.
During a visit to Klump’s ranch in August, trash left behind by smugglers was visible, posing a danger to Klump’s cattle. The trash, including water bottles, backpacks, and ladders, has led to some cattle eating harmful items and dying. The rancher claims that the trash directly affects his livelihood and has caused him financial losses. While illegal migrant crossings have decreased in recent months due to new restrictions on asylum access, smugglers have still been coming through and attempting to evade detection.
Despite the decrease in overall migrant encounters, Klump has seen continued foot traffic from smugglers moving drugs and people across the border. He believes that Harris is not effectively addressing the issue and is actually helping the cartels by not taking stronger action against illegal crossings. The Arizona border is controlled by the Sinaloa cartel, which is responsible for smuggling illicit fentanyl into the US. In 2022, half of the deadly fentanyl seized in the US was captured in Arizona, highlighting the dangers of the situation at the border.
Klump’s ranch serves as a microcosm of the challenges faced by residents living along the Arizona border due to the increase in illegal activity. He feels that Harris’s lack of action is causing harm to legitimate businesses and residents who are negatively impacted by the illegal crossings. Despite promises and references to her experience, Klump believes that Harris is not effectively addressing the situation and that her visit to the border comes too late. The issues surrounding illegal immigration continue to be a pressing concern for those living along the border in Arizona.
