TUCSON, Ariz — Immigration is front and center at the national level right now, as the Trump administration's crackdowns on asylum-seeking and illegal crossings have dominated the headlines.
But coming to the country legally can be difficult for some.
KGUN 9 takes a deep dive with team coverage on the current immigration overhaul. WATCH LIVE AT 10PM THURSDAY:
Kathy McClain moved to the US from Canada back in 2000, getting her green card for $6,000.
But she faced challenges along the way.
"I got turned around at the border just before New Year's Eve, 1999…..They had locked down the borders. And I, of course, didn't have my green card, but I had my military ID," says McClain.
She decided then to pursue getting her green card, but faced hurdles along the way. Hurdles she jumped over, by writing the White House.
"I wrote the White House. The following week, Ron's boss comes in. He was teaching at sub school at the time, and he's like, why is Jake getting a hold of me about you and the White House and this and that," says McClain.
McClain's husband Ron was a submarine school teacher, giving her the option to cross at the time with just her military ID.
And after living here for 24 years on that green card, she decided she was done paying to get it renewed, becoming a naturalized citizen in June of 2024.
But for Luke Flacke and his girlfriend Stephanie McEwan, their decision process was the opposite.
They made the choice to move to Stephanie's home country of Scotland after a change in their visa options.
"It was easier for Luke to move here than it was for me to move to the States," says McEwan, "Due to the length of time it takes, I would say, and also because there was changes in the visa when we were looking for visas in Scotland."
The United Kingdom offered an unmarried spouse visa, which was cheaper for Flacke than getting a regular visa in the United States for McEwan.
That made the decision easier for them both.
In the future, they are going to continue to take a look at their options.
"When we get closer to this visa running out, we'll decide kind of what route I want to take. It'll probably be the one that cost me the least amount of money, if I'm being honest," says Flacke.
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Blake Phillips is a reporter for KGUN 9. Originally from St. Louis, Mo., Blake grew up in Sierra Vista. During his college tenure at the Missouri School of Journalism, Blake worked for the NBC affiliate KOMU-TV in Columbia. He is excited to return to a place he calls home and give back to the community in which he grew up. Share your story ideas and important issues with Blake by emailing blake.phillips@kgun9.com.
