NOGALES, Ariz. — Kari Lake brought her senate campaign to the border Tuesday morning.
She also brought a group of supportive moms with her, known as the "Moms for Kari".
They gathered by the wall in Nogales to highlight the ongoing crisis.
"I think this is the first ever 'Mama Bear Border Tour'," Lake said.
The Tucson sector continues to be the busiest along the border, leading all sectors in apprehensions the last four months.
The crisis is visible in Nogales as Border Patrol and CBP buses have been dropping off migrants since September.
Nogales street releases - no end in sight. pic.twitter.com/ocFmHf7I9v
— Adam Klepp (@AdamKleppAZ) November 21, 2023
The drop-offs are coordinated with Santa Cruz County, Pima County, and the NGOs receiving the migrants.
The Emergency Management Department assists them to getting to shelters in Tucson or Phoenix.
In this group is a migrant mother, Delora Lopez from Mexico.
Next to her during the interview is her 3-year-old son.
“I came to give my child a future where he can study, and we don’t have to put our lives at risk.”
But Lake says migrant moms shouldn’t risk the journey to the U.S.
“My message to moms thinking of coming across this border is don’t come across our open border. Because they’re being told a lie. They think life will be better here, and I don’t think it will be," Lake says.
She added migrants from hundreds of countries are crossing the southern border, and she believes it needs to stop.
“We’ve seen people coming from many different countries, more than 160, 170 from around the world," Lake said. "We don’t have the capacity to take on the world’s problems," says Lake.
Lake outlines her 10-point border plan on her Senate campaign website.
Lake spoke along with Nogales Mayor Jorge Maldonado.
He said the migrant surge is hurting the business community, as port officers were sent tohelp border patrol agents process migrants in September.
“We still have the migrant issue, CBP officers have not returned to their post at the border," Maldonado said.
Santa Cruz County says over nine thousand migrants have been street released in Nogales since September.
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Adam Klepp is a reporter for KGUN 9. At his previous station in Yuma, Adam focused on a range of local issues including the border, water rights and healthcare. He is originally from Detroit, Michigan, and attended both Loyola University Chicago and Syracuse University. Share your story ideas and important issues with Adam by emailing adam.klepp@kgun9.com or by connecting on Twitter.
