Giffords to lead border tour

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., will lead a tour of seven colleagues at several important locations on or near the international border in Southern Arizona late Sunday.

Giffords said most of her colleagues have probably never been to the border, and she hopes the visit will give them some insight into its complexities.

Southern Arizona’s border with Mexico and nearby areas are some of the busiest in the United States, with 44 percent of the country’s illegal human traffic and 48 percent of the illegal drug traffic occurring here.

“Border security is a top priority in Congress, but most of my colleagues have never seen border operations up close,” said Giffords.

She added: “In Southern Arizona, we know the complexities and challenges of stopping illegal immigrants and drugs. We are all too familiar with the crime and violence that is a direct result of the federal government’s failure to secure the border.

“My colleagues want to learn about the weakness and strengths of current border security policies. They are coming to the right place.”

The representatives will visit the Border Patrol’s Nogales station headquarters, operations at the DeConcini Port of Entry in downtown Nogales and the Border Patrol’s checkpoint on Interstate 19 north of Tubac.

The checkpoint is a contentious issue along the I-19 corridor, with some saying it drives illegals off the highway and into neighborhoods with others saying it’s one of the best ways to intercept drugs and illicit traffic.

Some prefer the efficiency of a permanent site, while others say it loses the element of surprise.

She led a study by citizens and law enforcement officers of the issue.

Representatives expected are John Barrow of Georgia, Brad Ellsworth of Indiana, Zach Space of Ohio, Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, Steve Kagen of Wisconsin, Niki Tsongas of Massachusetts and Tim Mahoney of Florida.

All are Democrats. Only Kagen is from a border state.

Giffords’ 8th Congressional District shares a 114-mile border with Mexico.

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749