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LOOKING AT HOW THE BORDER ECONOMY WAS AN ISSUE IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS; CONSIDERING THE STRENGTH OF THE LATINO VOTE IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA; AND IF YOU'RE CURIOUS ABOUT HOW FIRST TIME VOTERS CAST THEIR BALLOTS, WE'LL HAVE THOSE STORIES ON THE PRESS ROOM STARTING NOW.

HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE PRESS ROOM.

I'M TONY PERKINS, JOINED BY OUR PANEL OF JOURNALISTS, KATYA MENDOZA FROM AZPM NEWS, PAUL INGRAM FROM THE TUCSON SENTINEL, JOINING US FOR THE FIRST TIME, SILVIA SANCHEZ FROM AZPM NEWS, AND LILIANA LOPEZ WITH SOMOS TUCSON.

THANKS FOR BEING WITH US ON THE PRESS ROOM.

AND LILIANA, LET'S ASK YOU FIRST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOMOS TUCSON.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STORY OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THEM THERE.

YES.

OF COURSE, THANK YOU.

SO I WAS WORKING AT THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR WITH LA ESTRELLA DE TUCSON, THEIR SPANISH LANGUAGE PUBLICATION.

THAT WAS SHUT DOWN IN 2023, THREE YEARS AGO.

SO I LAUNCHED SOMOS TUCSON LAST SUMMER JUST TO KEEP INFORMING MY COMMUNITY, SPANISH SPEAKING LATINO COMMUNITY HERE IN TUCSON.

SO WE BASICALLY FOCUS ON USEFUL INFORMATION AND CELEBRATING EVERYTHING WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY.

ALL RIGHT.

FANTASTIC.

WELCOME.

THANKS A LOT.

THANK YOU.

NOW LET'S BEGIN DISCUSSING IMMIGRATION AND THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS.

IMMIGRATION WAS ONE OF THE TOP ISSUES IN THE PREVIOUS ELECTION CYCLE, BUT IT APPEARED NEAR THE BOTTOM OF SOME NATIONAL PRE-ELECTION POLLS SHOWING ITEMS OF INTEREST.

THIS TIME, PAUL, THERE ARE SOME ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE WHO SAID IMMIGRATION WAS, IN THEIR WORDS, SOLVED.

AND THAT'S WHY IT WASN'T A BIG ISSUE.

FEWER PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED IN IT AND CARED ABOUT IT.

BUT IT IS ALSO BECOMING CLEAR AS OF TODAY AND THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK, THAT VOTERS REMEMBERED HOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CARRIED OUT ITS VIOLENT IMMIGRATION POLICY OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

AND THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE BLUE WAVE THAT DEMOCRATS EXPERIENCED THIS WEEK.

I THINK THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT.

I THINK THE WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT IS TO SPLIT THE BORDER.

AND IMMIGRATION, WE TEND TO SOMETIMES TEND TO THINK OF THOSE THINGS AS BEING LIKE ONE THING.

AND IN THIS WAY, THEY'RE NOT.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS HAS REALLY PRESENTED THE IDEA THAT IT'S SOLVED THE BORDER.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, IT HAS NOT SOLVED IMMIGRATION.

AND INSTEAD, IT'S LED ON A VERY VIOLENT CRACKDOWN ACROSS A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT CITIES ALL THROUGH THE NATION, MOST NOTABLY IN MINNESOTA, IN MINNEAPOLIS.

AND THAT, OF COURSE, STUCK IN THE MINDS OF VOTERS.

YOU SEE THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, PLACES WHERE PEOPLE WERE PUTTING UP 'I VOTED' STICKERS IN A PLACE WHERE ONE OF THE, WHEN SOMEONE WAS KILLED, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY WANTED TO SHOW AND PRESENT THE IDEA THAT THEY WERE VOTING AGAINST THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

AND SO THAT WAS REALLY PART OF THE TURNOUT.

AND I THINK YOU SEE THIS WRIT LARGE.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, ONCE THIS COMMAND WAS TELLING REPORTERS ON TUESDAY NIGHT THAT THE BORDER WASN'T WAS A HUGE ISSUE IN 2024, BUT NOW IT BECAME ABOUT ECONOMICS.

AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO WHY, IN A LOT OF WAYS, REPUBLICANS HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE ON TUESDAY NIGHT IS REALLY THAT PEOPLE WANTED THEM TO NOW WORK ON ECONOMIC ISSUES, AND THEY JUST CAN'T BECAUSE THEY'RE SO FOCUSED ON BORDER IMMIGRATION, IMMIGRATION ISSUES.

AND IN A LOT OF WAYS, I THINK THE IMMIGRATION ISSUES HAVE ACTUALLY WORKED AGAINST THEM IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMY.

THEY'VE ACTUALLY HARMED THE ECONOMY BY HAVING THESE VIOLENT AND REALLY AGGRESSIVE CRACKDOWNS ALL THROUGHOUT THE NATION.

WE'LL GET DEEPER INTO THIS TOPIC DURING OUR DISCUSSION.

BUT VOTERS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHWEST, SILVIA, SAID THEY FELT THAT BORDER ISSUES WERE ABSOLUTELY IN PLAY IN THIS ELECTION, ESPECIALLY WITH ECONOMIC ISSUES.

YES, DEFINITELY.

LIKE PAUL WAS SAYING, I THINK THAT THAT WAS PART OF THE TURNOUT, VOTER TURNOUT THIS TIME.

AND I THINK THAT LATINOS WERE VERY ANGRY AT THE WAY THAT ALL THE AGGRESSIVENESS OF IMMIGRATION AGENTS AND LIKE ALL THE ICE RAIDS THAT WERE GOING ON, AND THAT DEFINITELY MADE AN IMPACT ON LATINO VOTERS THIS TIME.

AND, LILIANA, ONE THING OF NOTE IN THIS ELECTION, AND WE GET THE RUNDOWN AS THE VOTES ARE STILL BEING COUNTED IN SOME CASES THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ALREADY KNOW VOTERS IN TEXAS ELECTED A LATINA GOVERNOR FOR THE FIRST TIME, CALIFORNIA ELECTED A LATINO GOVERNOR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 150 YEARS.

AND HERE IN ARIZONA, OF COURSE, THERE WERE THE VICTORIES BY JOANNA MENDOZA IN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SIX AND ADELITA GRIJALVA IN SEVEN.

THE SENSE IS THAT THIS IS NOT REALLY NEW, BUT IT IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT, ESPECIALLY IN THIS REGION IN THE SOUTHWEST.

YES, YES IT IS.

AND I AGREE WITH YOU, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS NOT NEW.

BUT FOR EXAMPLE, ADELITA GRIJALVA WAS SAYING THAT THE NIGHT OF THE VICTORY THAT THE ELECTION NIGHT, THAT SHE HAS THAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK, TO PLAN AHEAD BECAUSE THIS, LIKE CD SEVEN, IS ONE OF THE FEW DISTRICTS THAT YOU CAN CONSIDER, LIKE VERY STABLE.

SO THAT'S A, IT WAS A HUGE LATINO PARTICIPATION THIS TIME, AS WE HAVE HAD IN RECENT ELECTIONS.

AND I THINK WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT LATINOS.

AND WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT THIS BORDER AND IMMIGRATION.

AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM MY COMMUNITY IS THAT SOMETIMES WE ARE OKAY WITH SOME SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME POINT OF SOME LEVELS OF BORDER SECURITY, BUT WE ARE NOT OKAY WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH OUR PEOPLE HERE IN THE COMMUNITIES, HOW THE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN APPLIED.

SO I THINK IT WAS A BIG THING THIS ELECTION, ESPECIALLY FOR NEW VOTERS.

I DID A REPORT ON NEW CITIZENS, LATINO, WHO ARE NEW CITIZENS, AND THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES ON BEHALF OF THEIR NEIGHBORS AND ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE YET.

SO I THINK THAT WAS A BIG ISSUE.

YOU KNOW, ON THE DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION, YOU KNOW, WE TEND TO FORGET ABOUT SOME OF THE REPORTING THAT WE DID BEFORE THE ELECTION TOOK PLACE LAST WEEK OR THE WEEK BEFORE LAST.

AND THERE WAS SOME TALK THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOME SENSITIVE ISSUES AT THE AT THE POLLING PLACES, AT THE POLLING SITES, POSSIBLY SOME ICE AGENTS SHOWING UP.

YOU DID SOME WORK ON ELECTION DAY AT AND FOLLOWED SOME OF THE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING THERE.

WHAT DID WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT ISSUE?

I GUESS IT WAS A NON-ISSUE IN THE END.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, WE WERE EXPECTING AT LEAST JOURNALISTS WERE ALSO EXPECTING MORE ICE TO SHOW UP DURING THE PRIMARIES.

EVEN SO, WE WERE DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, WAITING TO SEE WHAT EXACTLY WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, WHO WAS GOING TO BE THERE AT THE POLLS ON ELECTION DAY.

ULTIMATELY, WE DID NOT SEE OR I DID NOT SEE ANY ICE SHOW UP.

YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THE PRIMARIES IN PIMA COUNTY, I DID SHOW UP TO CERTAIN VOTING SITES.

SO IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE.

NOW, STICKING WITH THE ELECTION, SILVIA, YOU WROTE AN ARTICLE FOR AZPM WHERE YOU INTERVIEWED A BUSINESS OWNER IN NOGALES, AND HE SAID ABOUT THE POLITICAL INFLUENCE OF LATINO VOTERS, QUOTE, IN THE LAST ELECTION CYCLE, MEANING 2024 LATINO VOTERS REALLY MADE AN IMPACT AND VOTED MORE CONSERVATIVELY, A LITTLE BIT RIGHT OF CENTER.

NOW, THERE MAY BE EVIDENCE TODAY THAT LATINO SENTIMENT WAS REVERSED.

NOW, WHAT MAKES THE LATINO VOTE SO UNPREDICTABLE?

WELL, I DON'T THINK THAT LATINOS HAVE LIKE A LOYALTY TO A DEMOCRATIC PARTY OR REPUBLICAN PARTY.

I THINK THAT THEY GO MORE WITH THE CANDIDATE AND WHAT'S GOING ON.

LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S WHY A LOT OF POLITICAL FIGURES FIGHT FOR THE LATINO VOTE, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE LIKE AN AFFILIATION PER SE TO A PARTY.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHY DONALD TRUMP WAS SAYING THAT A LOT OF LATINOS SUPPORTED HIM, WHICH WAS TRUE IN 2024.

BUT I THINK THAT AFTER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED WITH AFFORDABILITY, WITH ALL THE ICE RAIDS, PEOPLE WERE ANGRY AT THE WAY THAT THE COUNTRY WAS GOING, LATINOS SPECIFICALLY, AND THEY JUST VOTED MORE DEMOCRATIC THIS TIME.

CAN I JUST ADD TO THAT?

YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD THIS TERM BEFORE THAT LATINO VOTERS OR LATINOS ARE NOT A MONOLITH.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, JUST ECHOING WHAT SILVIA WAS SAYING.

LATINOS ARE THE SECOND FASTEST GROWING RATE RACE, RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUP HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

ABOUT 1 IN 5 AMERICANS ARE LATINOS.

AND SO JUST AGAIN, THE COMMUNITIES I THINK, WERE DISAPPOINTED THE LATINO COMMUNITY WAS DISAPPOINTED IN, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE PROMISES THAT DONALD TRUMP MADE IN 2024 AND DEFINITELY CHANGED WHAT THEY WERE, WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM THIS TIME AROUND.

AND WE'LL SEE MORE AND MORE OF THE BREAKDOWN WITH THE ELECTION RETURNS AND THE TURNOUT.

BUT FOR EXAMPLE, IN TEXAS, PERHAPS THEY'RE HEARING WHAT WE HAVE KNOWN IN ARIZONA FOR A WHILE THAT THE LATINO VOTE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AND IT'S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE ELECTIONS TO COME.

NOW, STICKING WITH THE ELECTIONS AGAIN, HERE'S A STORY.

THE COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS, THAT'S A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS GROUP, HAD THIS NUMBER GOING INTO THE MIDTERMS.

SOME 4 MILLION LATINOS WERE ELIGIBLE TO CAST BALLOTS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE UNITED STATES.

LILIANA, YOU VISITED SOME IMMIGRANTS WHO WERE IN THAT SITUATION, FIRST TIME VOTERS IN THIS GENERAL ELECTION.

AND IN THE STORY, IN COLLABORATION WITH AZ LUMINARIA, REGARDING THE FEAR CAUSED BY XENOPHOBIA AND MASS DEPORTATIONS DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS, YOU WROTE, MANY REMAIN MOTIVATED TO VOTE IN THE UNITED STATES, SOME FOR DEEPLY PERSONAL REASONS.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE REASONS?

WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT?

WELL, IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING FOR FOR WE VISITED, WE FOLLOWED THREE FAMILIES AND ONE OF THEM, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS LADY, ROCIO, SHE HAD BEEN A PERMANENT RESIDENT FOR 28 YEARS, 28 YEARS.

SHE WAS MARRIED.

SHE IS MARRIED TO A US CITIZEN.

SO SHE SHE JUST DIDN'T DIDN'T FEEL THE NEED TO BECAME A US CITIZEN BEFORE UNTIL SHE STARTED SEEING AND WATCHING, FOLLOWING ALL THE NEWS ABOUT DEPORTATIONS AND SHE FELT LIKE SHE COULD BE DEPORTED.

AND SHE IS A MOTHER OF A GIRL WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

SO THAT WAS HER VERY, VERY PERSONAL MOTIVATION.

BUT THAT WAS ONLY AFTER 20 YEARS OF LIVING IN THIS MORE MORE THAN 30 YEARS ACTUALLY LIVING IN THIS COUNTRY.

SO FOR THEM, IT'S ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES.

FOR THEM IS ECONOMY, AND FOR THEM IS LIKE FEELING LIKE THEIR NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS ARE BEING TREATED, MISTREATED, HUMILIATED, AND JUST BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM THIS COUNTRY.

SO IT'S AS KATYA SAID, THIS IS NOT A MONOLITHIC GROUP.

AND IT'S REALLY DIFFERENT WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A LATINO WHO WAS BORN HERE, WHO IS A BILINGUAL OR ENGLISH IS THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE.

AND WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT AN IMMIGRANT WHO BECAME NATURALIZED, THE EXPERIENCE IS REALLY DIFFERENT.

AND FOR SOME OF THEM, VOTING WAS A TOTAL NEW JOURNEY, SOMETHING REALLY DIFFICULT TO DO BECAUSE IT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION TO PROCESS, TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND.

AND MANY OF THEM, THEY TOLD ME THEY THEY WERE VOTING BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING, BUT THEY WEREN'T UNDERSTANDING THE BALLOT.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING, AN IMPORTANT STORY.

YEAH.

NOW AGAIN, TO REMIND EVERYONE YOU'RE IN TUNE WITH THE PRESS ROOM ON AZPM I'M TONY PERKINS AND REINTRODUCING OUR GUESTS ON THIS PANEL, KATYA MENDOZA FROM AZPM NEWS.

SILVIA SANCHEZ WITH AZPM NEWS, PAUL INGRAM WITH THE TUCSON SENTINEL, AND LILIANA LOPEZ WITH SOMOS TUCSON.

OUR NEXT SUBJECT GETTING OUT OF THE ELECTIONS IS ABOUT A PLANNED EXPANSION OF A BORDER PATROL CHECKPOINT ON I-19.

NOW, ADELITA GRIJALVA, THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SEVEN, SPOKE UP ABOUT THE BORDER PATROL CHECKPOINT AND AT LEAST THE PLANS FOR IT.

SILVIA, HOW IS THIS EXPANSION SUPPOSED TO WORK AND WHAT DID SHE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT?

WELL, SHE WAS VERY MAD AT THIS SITUATION BECAUSE SHE'S SAYING THAT THERE'S NO ACTUAL EVIDENCE THAT THIS THE EXPANSION OF THIS CHECKPOINT WILL IMPROVE THE BORDER SECURITY THAT THE DONALD TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.

AND WHILE A LOT OF MEDICAL CUTS AND SNAP BENEFIT CUTS ARE HAPPENING, THEN THERE'S ALL OF A SUDDEN ALL OF THIS MONEY FOR BORDER SECURITY.

SO ADELITA SAID THAT SHE WAS GOING TO TRY TO TALK TO THEM, THAT SHE WAS SENDING OUT LETTERS TO THEM, BUT THEY'RE NOT REALLY ANSWERING.

SHE SAID THAT THEY DON'T CARE TO WORK WITH HER.

SO SHE WAS VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THAT MONEY COULD BE PUT INTO SCHOOLS INTO, YOU KNOW, LIKE HELP PEOPLE OUT VETERANS.

AND THEY'RE JUST SPENDING MONEY ON THE CHECKPOINT.

AND ANOTHER THING IS THAT WE TRY TO REACH OUT AND, YOU KNOW, WE ASKED WHAT THIS EXPANSION MEANT.

AND IT'S NOT VERY CLEAR EITHER AS TO WHAT THEY MEAN ABOUT THE EXPANSION, THIS CHECKPOINT AND ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS ON A CHECKPOINT ALONG THE BORDER ALSO HAS AN IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY AT THE BORDER POLL, CERTAINLY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT KIND OF CHANGES HAVE GONE ON IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH THE WITH THE BORDER ECONOMY.

WELL, ONE THING TOO, AND I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE CHECKPOINT THE REAL QUICK, IS THAT ARIZONA IS UNIQUE IN THAT WE DON'T HAVE PERMANENT CHECKPOINTS, AND THAT'S REALLY A CONSEQUENCE OF LEGISLATURE.

JIM COLBY, WHO REALLY DIDN'T HE WANTED TACTICAL CHECKPOINTS.

THE IDEA THAT YOU COULD PACK UP A CHECKPOINT AND MOVE IT IN THE I-19 CHECKPOINT HAS BEEN UNIQUE IN THIS WAY THAT IT'S BEEN IN THE SAME PLACE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

BUT WHAT THE AGENCY WANTS, IT SOUNDS LIKE, IS TO KIND OF MAKE A PERMANENT, ESTABLISHED CHECKPOINT, LIKE YOU WOULD SEE IN CALIFORNIA OR TEXAS, WHERE TRAFFIC GETS SORT OF REDIRECTED THROUGH THE CHECKPOINT AND THEN BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY RATHER THAN THE CHECKPOINT NOW, WHICH IS KIND OF HANGING OVER THE HIGHWAY.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD QUICKLY REPLACE IT.

BUT FOR BORDER CHECKPOINTS, THIS IS A HUGE DEAL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE CHECKPOINT, OF COURSE, SLOWS TRAFFIC.

IT MEANS THAT PEOPLE HAVE A HARDER TIME.

I MEAN, THERE'S A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SONORA AND ARIZONA.

PEOPLE COME UP.

AND FOR A LONG TIME, I MEAN, TUCSON'S ECONOMY WAS REALLY IN PART FUELED BY PEOPLE COMING UP, GOING TO STORES, BUYING THINGS, ESPECIALLY AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME, YOU'D SEE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH SNORING LICENSE PLATES WHO ARE BUYING THINGS AND THEN HEADING HOME.

SO THAT'S IMPORTANT.

THAT CHECKPOINT NEEDS TO WORK, AND IT NEEDS TO BE EFFECTIVE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.

NOW, YOU WROTE AN INTERESTING ARTICLE FOR THE TUCSON SENTINEL ABOUT DRONE FLIGHTS ON THE BORDER.

THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ISSUED SOME TEMPORARY RESTRICTIONS FOR WHAT IT CALLED UNAUTHORIZED DRONE ACTIVITY NEAR THE BORDER.

HOMELAND SECURITY SAYS IT'S INTERCEPTING DRONE FLIGHTS THAT ARE DROPPING OFF ILLEGAL DRUGS THAT ARE OPERATED BY THE CARTEL.

BUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SEEMS TO BE MORE INTERESTED IN TARGETING DRONE AIRCRAFT USED FOR NEWS GATHERING.

I MEAN, THE RESTRICTION REALLY DOES THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ONE THING IS THAT THEY DON'T WANT YOU CAN'T FLY BELOW 400FT.

BUT THE PROBLEM IS, IS YOU'RE NOT REALLY ALLOWED TO FLY YOUR DRONE ABOVE 400FT.

SO IT MEANS THAT YOU REALLY CAN'T FLY A DRONE FOR NEWS GATHERING ON THE BORDER.

YOU HAVE TO REQUEST PERMISSION.

IT'S A 48 HOUR PROCESS, AND IT'S NOT EVEN CLEAR WHETHER THEY'LL EVEN APPROVE THAT PROCESS.

WE HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH IT.

WE'RE GOING TO TRY.

BUT WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT, WELL, WE'VE BEEN DOING DRONE FLIGHTS.

I'VE DONE LOTS OF DRONE FLIGHTS TO LOOK AT BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION.

IT'S A GOOD WAY TO REALLY ILLUSTRATE IT AND TO UNDERSTAND IT.

AND WE REALLY HAVE TO PUT THIS IN.

THE U.S.

FOREST SERVICE IS REALLY LIMITED.

THE BORDER ROAD, THEY'VE SAID U.S.

FOREST SERVICE HAS SAID YOU CAN'T GO ON THE BORDER ROAD UNLESS YOU'RE PART OF BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION.

THERE'S A FEW LITTLE LOOPHOLES, BUT ESSENTIALLY, IF YOU'RE A REPORTER, YOU CAN'T GET TO BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION ANYMORE.

SIX MONTHS AGO, I COULD DRIVE RIGHT UP TO THE CONSTRUCTION, DRIVE RIGHT UP THROUGH IT, TALK TO A CONTRACTOR, AND THEN FLY MY DRONE OVER.

RIGHT NOW, TODAY, I HAVE REALLY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE THAT.

AND I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN PART BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE COMING TOWARDS IS NOT ONLY JUST BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION IN THE SAN RAFAEL VALLEY AND IN NOGALES, BUT THEY'RE RIGHT NOW STARTING TO WORK IN ORGAN PIPE, AND THEY'RE ALSO WORKING CABEZA PRIETA, AND THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO START BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION IN THE TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION.

AND SO THE RESTRICTION IS, MEANS IT'S GOING TO JUST BE THAT MUCH HARDER FOR JOURNALISTS TO SEE WHAT CONSTRUCTION IS BEING DONE, EXACTLY HOW IT'S BEING ACCOMPLISHED.

AND, AND SO I THINK IT'S A HUGE PROBLEM.

CAN I ADD TO THAT?

YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY JOURNALISTS, BUT ALSO ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY GROUPS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY TRAVELING TO THESE RESTRICTED RESTRICTED AREAS OR WHERE CONSTRUCTION IS HAPPENING.

YOU KNOW, THEY ALSO SERVE AS WATCHDOGS FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT CARES ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THESE LARGE SCALE PROJECTS.

SO THAT'S ALSO CONCERNING.

NOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PUT A NEW VISA RESTRICTION POLICY IN PLACE LAST MONTH.

IT SPECIFICALLY TARGETS PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE THE U.S.

COMING TO THE COUNTRY TO GIVE BIRTH TO OBTAIN CITIZENSHIP.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CALLS IT COMMERCIAL BIRTH TOURISM.

SILVIA, WHAT'S THE IMPLICATION ON THIS RESTRICTION FOR ARIZONA BORDER COMMUNITIES?

WELL, ARIZONA, LIKE PAUL WAS SAYING, RELIES A LOT OF MEXICAN TOURISM, ESPECIALLY FROM SONORA AND SINALOA, A LOT OF CHRISTMAS SHOPPING, A LOT OF HOLIDAY SHOPPING.

SO BASICALLY WHAT THIS VISA RESTRICTION IS SAYING IS THAT IT'S UP TO THE FEDERAL AGENT AT THE AT THE BORDER, AT THE PORT OF ENTRY TO IS THEIR DISCRETION IF THEY TAKE AWAY YOUR VISA, IF YOU'RE A PREGNANT PERSON TRYING TO GET TO THE UNITED STATES, OR IF THEY DENY YOUR VISA AND YOU'RE PREGNANT.

SO IMAGINE WHAT THAT WILL DO BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY HAVING AN IMPACT.

I PERSONALLY KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE SCARED TO COME TO THE COUNTRY BECAUSE OF THIS VISA RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE GOING ON, BECAUSE THEY HAVE HEARD THAT THEY TOOK AWAY A VISA FROM A TOURIST THAT HAD A BABY HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

SO THEY'RE EVEN GOING THROUGH THOSE DATAS, AND THEY'RE TAKING AWAY VISAS OR DENYING VISAS.

SO I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAVE A HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT IN THIS STATE.

YEAH.

I'M FROM DOUGLAS, ARIZONA, FROM AGUA PRIETA AND DOUGLAS.

AND IT'S VERY UNUSUAL TO SEE FAMILIES LIKE HAVING A MIXED STATUS, LIKE PEOPLE WHO LIVES IN AGUA IN MEXICO, BUT THEY HAVE A U.S.

CITIZEN CHILDREN, AND THEY CROSS THE BORDER EVERY DAY FOR SCHOOL, FOR EXAMPLE.

SO THE IMPLICATIONS ARE GOING TO BE REALLY, REALLY HARD AND DIFFICULT TO MANAGE FOR THOSE FAMILIES WHO PAID FOR SOME MEDICAL SERVICES IN THE PAST, JUST AT THE SAME WAY THAT SOME U.S.

CITIZENS GO TO MEXICO FOR FOR A DENTAL APPOINTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEY PAY FOR A SERVICE AND THEY COME BACK.

SO IT'S IT'S OBVIOUSLY REALLY DIFFERENT.

THE IMPLICATION IS REALLY DIFFERENT, PROBABLY NOT A GOOD EXAMPLE, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY DIFFICULT THING FOR THE BORDER PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO LIVES BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES, THE TWO COUNTRIES, EVERY DAY.

NOW, HERE'S AN ISSUE THAT WE'RE CATCHING UP WITH AFTER THE ELECTION.

AND BORDER NEWS.

IT'S ABOUT ONE OF THE BALLOT MEASURES FOR TUCSON VOTERS.

PROPOSITION 421 DEALT WITH THE 25-YEAR FRANCHISE AGREEMENT THAT WAS THAT WAS DEVELOPED BETWEEN THE CITY AND TUCSON ELECTRIC POWER, PAUL ROMERO AND OTHER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SUPPORTED IT, BUT IT'S RIGHT NOW, TUCSON VOTERS HAVE REJECTED IT AT THE POLLS.

YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WHAT WHAT WAS THE THE ISSUE AND THE BASIC DIFFERENCE OF OPINION BETWEEN THE MAYOR AND THE CITY OFFICIALS AND THE VOTERS WHO LOOKED AT THIS ISSUE?

SURE.

I MEAN, I THINK WHAT THE CITY CITY LEADERS WERE ABLE TO GET TIP TO AGREE TO GIVE THEM BASICALLY $2 MILLION A YEAR TO USE THAT FOR CLIMATE MITIGATION STRATEGIES.

SO THE CITY WOULD GET 2 MILLION A YEAR UP TO UP TO FOR OVER THE NEXT 25 YEARS, UP TO ABOUT $26 MILLION.

AND IT WAS IT WAS PART OF THE AGREEMENT THAT WAS BAKED IN.

BUT BUT VOTERS HAVE REJECTED THIS.

AND I THINK THAT HAS TO DO IN PART WITH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED WITH TEP OVER RATE CHANGES, YOU KNOW, TPS FOR 14% RATE INCREASE LAST YEAR.

THERE'S FRUSTRATION ABOUT DATA CENTERS.

THERE'S JUST FRUSTRATION AT THE COMPANY.

AND THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT VOTERS HAVE REJECTED THIS.

YOU KNOW, THEY ALSO REJECTED A SIMILAR AGREEMENT, SIMILAR AGREEMENT IN 20 IN 2023.

SO THEY'RE JUST RUNNING INTO A REAL PROBLEM WITH THIS.

THEY JUST CAN'T GET THIS DONE.

THE ONE THING THAT THIS DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH RATES, THIS AGREEMENT REALLY IS ABOUT TTP'S ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, WORK ON UTILITIES, TO WORK IN EASEMENTS, TO BASICALLY FIX POLES THAT ARE DOWN OR ADD IN INFRASTRUCTURE TO KIND OF BUILD UP THE CITY'S ELECTRICITY GRID.

BUT VOTERS JUST AREN'T, DON'T SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN IT.

THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO HAVE IT.

AND I THINK THAT MAY IN PART, MAYBE IT HAS TO DO WITH FRUSTRATION OVER TEP AS A COMPANY.

AND JUST THIS WEEK, WE GOT NEWS THAT TUCSON ELECTRIC POWER IS SEEKING A RATE INCREASE ALMOST 10%, AND THAT WOULD BRING CUSTOMERS MONTHLY BILL UP TO UP BY ABOUT $13.50.

KATYA, YOU DID SOME REPORTING ON THIS STORY.

TEP HAS BEEN LOOKING AT RAISING RATES FOR A WHILE.

THEY STARTED AT A HIGHER LEVEL AND IT'S BEEN SLOWLY CREEPING DOWN.

WHAT'S IT WHAT'S IT LIKE RIGHT NOW?

AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS BY RATE CUSTOMERS.

SO THE INITIAL RATE INCREASE THAT THE UTILITY WAS REQUESTING WAS ABOUT 14%.

AS OF TODAY, THEY'RE CURRENTLY REQUESTING 9.8%.

AND THEY SAY THAT'S DUE TO, YOU KNOW, INTERVENERS WHO ARE INTERVENING IN THE CASE, LISTENING TO CONCERNS ABOUT AFFORDABILITY.

LIKE PAUL WAS MENTIONING, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY IS STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THE ESSENTIALS, BUT ALSO UTILITY RATES ARE INCREASING NATIONWIDE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

AND SO COMING UP ON THE 17TH, THE ARIZONA CORPORATION COMMISSION WILL BE HOLDING AN OPEN MEETING TO DISCUSS THE LATEST AND MORE FINALIZED RATE INCREASE PROPOSAL.

SO WE WILL SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT.

NOW LET'S QUICKLY GET TO ANOTHER STORY THAT AFFECTS SOUTHERN ARIZONA AND THE ECONOMY HERE.

CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL MONUMENT UNVEILED AS AMERICA'S NEW NATIONAL PARK.

KATYA.

THIS IS ONE OF THE PRE-ELECTION NEWS STORIES THAT BROUGHT THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT TO SOUTHERN ARIZONA.

WE SORT OF HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF ELECTION NEWS.

BRING US UP TO DATE.

YEAH, SURE.

SO CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL MONUMENT IS NOW ARIZONA'S FOURTH NATIONAL PARK.

IT'S JOINING THE GRAND CANYON, PETRIFIED FOREST AND SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK.

SO THAT'S TWO HERE IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.

YOU KNOW, CONGRESSMAN JUAN CISCOMANI WAS REALLY CHAMPIONING THAT THIS DESIGNATION HAPPENED, I THINK, THE FIRST TIME HE INTRODUCED THIS LEGISLATION TO MAKE IT HAPPEN WAS IN 2023.

SO PAUL WAS ALSO THERE COVERING IT.

IT WAS VERY EXCITING.

AND CISCOMANI WAS VERY EXCITED.

THE INTERIOR SECRETARY, DOUG BURGUM, CAME FOR THIS EVENT, I THINK ON THE OPPOSITE END, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY GROUPS, THEY THEY'RE EXCITED, BUT MAYBE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, THE LAYOFFS OF NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STAFF, BUT ALSO FOREST SERVICE STAFF, PEOPLE WHO MANAGE OUR PUBLIC LANDS SYSTEM.

BUT ALSO A LOT OF THESE PARKS ALREADY HAD A BACKLOG OF PROJECTS THAT NEEDED FUNDING.

AND AS WE ALL KNOW, FUNDING WAS SLASHED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND A LOT OF CURRENT NATIONAL PARK ENTRANCE FEES.

THAT MONEY IS GOING TOWARDS DONALD TRUMP'S, YOU KNOW, VANITY PROJECTS IN DC.

SO AGAIN, WE WILL WAIT AND SEE IF THIS NEW NATIONAL PARK WILL GET THE RESOURCES THAT IT NEEDS TO OPERATE.

AND WE OPEN THIS UP TO WHOEVER WANTS TO COMMENT ON IT, JUAN CISCOMANI CHAMPIONED THIS NATIONAL MONUMENT.

AND IT'S SORT OF IRONIC THAT IF PROJECTIONS HOLD, HE'LL BE GOING DOWN TO DEFEAT IN HIS ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

AND THIS MAY BE PART OF THE LEGACY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SEEING IN THIS NATIONAL MONUMENT.

I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR FOR A LONG TIME.

MARTHA MCSALLY INTRODUCED THE FIRST ONE IN 2017 OR 2016.

I'M NOT SURE.

AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY PROPOSED IT.

AND FOR, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF WILLCOX HAS REALLY WANTED THIS.

THEY FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING TO ADD TRADE IN TOURISM.

IT'S GOING TO BE A BOON TO THEM.

BUT I THINK I THINK KATYA'S RIGHT.

I MEAN, THERE ARE REAL QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THIS IS GOING TO A DRAW PEOPLE IN AND WHETHER THE PARK SERVICE IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO REALLY MAKE THIS INTO SOMETHING THAT IS A AN EXTRA VALUABLE I MEAN, SMALL NATIONAL PARK IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY A BOON TO TUCSON.

BUT I'M NOT SURE IF, YOU KNOW, CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL PARK IS GOING TO HAVE THE SAME RELATIONSHIP FOR FOR WILLCOX.

SO WE'LL SEE FOR JUAN CISCOMANI, HE PUT A LOT OF POLITICAL CAPITAL IN THIS AND HE WAS SUCCESSFUL, BUT MAYBE THERE WAS OTHER THINGS THAT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING THAT MAY HAVE WON HIS ELECTION.

ALL RIGHT.

FANTASTIC.

GREAT DISCUSSION FOR THIS HALF HOUR, AND THAT'LL DO IT FOR US ON THE PRESS ROOM.

THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.

I'M TONY PERKINS, WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

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