by Ronnie Spangler
This was my second trip to the southern borders within the last month. This time I flew into Yuma, Arizona and drove home to Tennessee. I traveled along I-8 and I-10 to El Paso and picked up I-20. I had to cut the trip short so I didn't have much time to speak to folks along the border towns and cities. The few I was able to talk with at truck stops, restaurants, motels and rest areas were supportive of Arizona's new law but they were worried that the law would cause illegals living in Az to overrun their own states.
If witnessing all the U-Haul, Ryder and pickup trucks pulling trailers leaving Arizona can be used as evidence to support these fears, then Americans around the US have a right to be worried. Over the past 20 years I have made a lot of trips driving to and from Arizona to Tennessee. It is not uncommon to see Americans moving from one state to another. What is uncommon is the number of vehicles I saw leaving Az heading east. If the other interstate highways running through Arizona are witnessing the same amount of traffic, then you could assume they are probably leaving before the new law goes into effect.
I have no way of knowing if all of the rental trucks were being driven by illegals or if everyone of them were people moving out of Az. What I did notice was the vast majority of rental trucks that were towing vehicles, had Arizona license plates on the vehicles being towed. This was also true for most of the pickup trucks that were towing trailers.
I did not grow up during the Great Depression but I remember watching old news stories about the great migration from the Midwest to California during this time. What I saw was nothing compared to all of the people that were fleeing the drought and the devastation it caused in the Midwest. However, it did seem eerily similar.
I did stop in El Paso and talked to some of the students that are going through the Border Patrol Canine Training Course at Fort Bliss. The good news is Homeland Security has increased the budget and reinstated a class they had previously canceled. This is good news and I support this decision.
The dogs and equipment are the best that money can buy and the training is excellent. Between the keen sense of smell inherent in this particular breed of dog and the training received by the agent, drug and weapons smugglers will find it increasingly difficult to smuggle anything in or out of the US. I only hope Homeland Security continues this program and adds more Canine Handlers to the undermanned Border Patrol.
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