Residents near Arizona’s southern border shared emotional stories at the Republican National Convention about living through the immigration crisis.
During the convention’s third day, speakers highlighted the challenges caused by millions of immigrants crossing from Mexico. David Lara, a San Luis business owner and activist, spoke about the chaos affecting small towns like his.
“Imagine crowds overwhelming the border port, with not enough agents to handle everyone,” Lara told the audience. “Imagine strangers causing fear in our homes, neighborhoods, and schools.”
Lara described how his community’s fire department had to use off-road vehicles because ambulances were occupied by asylum seekers. He also noted the troubling presence of drug traffickers using local children to transport drugs.
Blaming President Biden and Vice President Harris, Lara criticized their handling of the migrant crisis. Biden appointed Harris to oversee immigration policy.
Following Lara, Arizona ranchers Jim and Sue Chilton from Arivaca shared their experiences. Living just miles from the border, Jim Chilton reported seeing over 3,500 drug packers and others crossing their ranch since Biden took office.
“These are not asylum seekers,” Jim Chilton emphasized, expressing concern over the invasion they feel they are experiencing.
Sue Chilton spoke of their home being broken into twice, expressing her fear for Jim’s safety whenever he leaves the ranch.
Recent data shows over 12 million illegal border crossings into the U.S. since 2021, according to analysis by The Center Square.
The RNC is scheduled to conclude soon, with the Democratic National Convention set to start on Aug. 19 in Chicago.