Arizona border residents give picture of immigration crisis at RNC

(The Center Square) – Arizonans living near the nation's southern border gave the Republican National Convention some emotional testimony about the realities of life amid an immigration crisis.

On day three of the RNC, several speakers addressed the millions of immigrants crossing the nation's border with Mexico. Included in those were David Lara, a San Luis business owner and activist.

"Small towns like mine bear the brunt of the chaos. Imagine crowds rushing the port, overwhelming Border Patrol when they know that they don't have enough agents to detain everyone," he told the crowd. "Imagine strangers terrorizing your homes, your neighbors, your yards and local schools who are fearful to let children walk home."

Lara said the local fire department was forced to use off-road vehicles to bring community members to the hospital because ambulances were taken by "asylum seekers."

He described drug traffickers taking advantage of border communities.

"In San Luis, Mexican drug cartels use school children as mules, let that sink in," he said.

Like others who had spoken before him, Lara blamed the migrant crisis on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden appointed Harris to oversee his administration's approach to stemming the flow of illegal foreign nationals and asylum seekers.

After Lara came Arizona ranchers Jim and Sue Chilton. From Arivaca, the couple lives just miles from the border. Chilton said five and a half miles of his ranch lies on the border with Mexico.

"Since Joe Biden took office, our hidden cameras have recorded over 3,500 drug packers and others dressed in camouflage marching north through our ranch," Jim Chilton said. "These are not asylum seekers."

Chilton told the crowd that he and his wife were living through an invasion.

"In April alone, over 5,000 additional, unvetted aliens entered our ranch claiming economic asylum. We know firsthand that Biden's open border is our nation's greatest national security threat," Chilton said.

Sue Chilton said the couple's home has been broken into twice.

"Every time Jim leaves the ranch house, I have to worry that he won't come back alive," she said.

Since 2021, more than 12 million people have illegally crossed the border into the U.S., data obtained and analyzed by The Center Square show.

The RNC is set to conclude on Thursday. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to begin on Aug. 19 in Chicago.