As national attention remains fixated on the constitutional crisis at the Texas border, the neighboring state of Arizona continues to endure a record wave of illegal immigrants.
A border patrol source told The Epoch Times that agents believe at least some of the increase can be attributed to an upgrade in security over recent months at popular illegal crossings along the Texas border, resulting in some smugglers opting to reroute to southeastern Arizona, where they expect to be met with less resistance.
“These smugglers are very savvy when it comes to American media and they are aware of the message Texas has been sending that they don’t want them coming through their state,” said the agent, who has worked in the field for over a decade, primarily in the southeast region of Arizona. “It appears at least in some instances they are detouring a few hours and crossing where they know they won’t have to encounter any resistance.”
“Right now that place is Arizona, especially the Tucson sector,” he added.
The unprecedented surge of illegal immigrants into Arizona can also be attributed to incentives, according to law enforcement.
“Texas is sending a powerful message, and they are doing it with intent. They have only secured a few miles of the border, but the message is don’t pass here. They realize that people trying to get into the country illegally will hear all the noise and then start moving to Arizona,” he said.
“It is an invasion. We see it every day. And if people think it is bad now, just wait. It is about to get a whole lot worse.”
He told The Epoch Times in December that immigrants who illegally cross the border into Arizona are being handed $5,000 in good-as-cash gift cards, along with cell phones and costly plane tickets, all of which are being paid for by the American taxpayer.
Mr. Lamb told The Epoch Times that he had been informed of the lucrative hand-out through his close sources working at the United States border.
“I was absolutely in shock when these agents came forward,” said Mr. Lamb. “I had known we handed out free cell phones and plane tickets, but to give out $5,000 Visa gift cards to people who break our laws and come into our country illegally when the average American is struggling to pay their bills is just tough to swallow.”
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) later confirmed to the Associated Press that the agencies do not hand out such gift cards.
The surge has rendered the city of Tucson without the capacity to house its own native homeless population.
“This morning we had more than 5,000 people in custody—far more than our holding capacity,” the email said.
On Dec. 15, Arizona’s Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs responded to the outrage by calling for a mobilization of the state’s National Guard to the border as she blamed the Biden administration for its refusal to send resources.
Further, attacks on border agents have increased. Last week a CBP agent was attacked by suspected human smugglers while arresting illegal immigrants near San Luis, Arizona. The agent sustained injuries.
The total number of illegal immigrants crossing from Mexico into America reached an all-time high in December, with the CBP claiming 249,785 arrests, up 31 percent from 191,112 in November and up 13 percent from 222,018 in December 2022, which had been the previous all-time high. Mexicans accounted for 56,236 arrests in December, while Venezuelans were second with 46,937, according to the report.
Acting CBP Commissioner Troy A. Miller insisted that the agency needs more resources.
“CBP continues to use all available resources to ensure the safety and security of our agents and officers, and the migrants who are often misled and victimized by the transnational criminal organizations,” Mr. Miller said in a statement. “But as we have repeatedly said, CBP and our federal partners need additional support from Congress so that we can continue to effectuate consequences for those who do not use established lawful pathways.”
The crisis in Arizona comes as the nation remains fixated on a tense border standoff in the neighboring state of Texas.
On Jan. 22 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Biden administration to allow federal agents to cut the razor wire Texas installed along the border in an attempt to slow illegal crossings.
The showdown between the state of Texas and the Biden administration has intensified as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has refused to back down, declaring the state’s right to self-preservation supersedes the ruling by the Supreme Court.
“We are adding more razor wire as we speak right now to make sure that we are doing even more to secure the border,” Mr. Abbott said during an interview last week with Bloomberg TV.
On Jan. 24, Mr. Abbott issued a statement regarding the state’s “constitutional right to defend and protect” its border.
