TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It was a quiet night on Morley Street in Nogales. At BKY’s Place, Sergio Castaneda said business has been slow at his faux flower shop ever since President Donald Trump took office.
“You cross the border with your papers. You are legal here, some Mexican people don’t understand that,” Castaneda said.
Castaneda said a lot of Mexican citizens cross into the Nogales, Arizona for the day to shop. He said about 80% of his customers are people who live in Nogales, Mexico.
However, he said many of them don’t understand Trump’s policies only apply to undocumented migrants.
“He says he’s going to follow the gangs, the drug dealer, but he take everybody out,” Castaneda said.
It’s that type of rhetoric that Border Czar Tom Homan stressed on Tuesday.
“We’re not going to tell ICE agents ignore the laws of immigration enforcement, just arrest the criminal aliens. No, we’re taking everybody,” Homan said.
Fort Huachuca said 500 Fort Drum soldiers from New York are going to be stationed at their base. They said they are in addition to the Army’s 1,600 active duty personnel working at the border.
They’re helping about 2,500 service members who were already helping Customs and Border Protection.
“If they saw the soldiers in the border, the military, they’re going to be scared more,” Castaneda said.
Compared to the Biden Administration’s efforts last year, Homan said they’ve increased their efforts to take undocumented migrants out of the U.S.
“The numbers are good. For me, not good enough. We have to get more,” Homan said.
He said more deportations need to be prioritized. Homan said they’re also going to increase their efforts in sanctuary cities.
He also stressed ICE agents won’t be releasing undocumented migrants back into the U.S. after they get arrested.
“We need to increase the arrest of illegal aliens, especially those with criminal convictions, so we’re going to continue,” he said.