Protesters ‘welcome’ Kristi Noem during her visit to the Nogales border

NOGALES – Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem paid a visit to the border wall in Nogales, Arizona on Wednesday, taking a break from dealing with the backlash generated by her comments related to the shooting death of Alex Pretti at the hands of U.S. Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis in late January.

The main purpose of the visit was to hold a news conference, which included handing out awards to local Border Patrol agents. During the conference, Noem claimed border communities like Nogales had been overrun with undocumented migrants and cartel violence but were now the safest they’ve ever been, allegedly due to President Trump’s hardline stance on immigration and heavy handed enforcement tactics.

Notably absent from the briefing were local leaders and elected officials. Present, however, was Sheriff Mark J. Daniels of neighboring Cochise County, a known Trump ally.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff David Hathaway, a vocal critic of the administration’s immigration policies, responded to the snub with a statement to the media.

"Kristi Noem is a coward and is afraid to face the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the county where she did her disingenuous briefing. Neither she, nor her staff, invited me to her briefing or informed me where it was being held. She did, however, invite the Trump-supporting Sheriff from the neighboring county of Cochise. Noem was obviously afraid that I would refute her false claims about crime rates in this safe border county,” the statement read.

Other local leaders also refuted Noem’s claims about crime in both Nogales and Santa Cruz County.

Nogales Mayor Jorge Maldonado told local news station KOLD 13 that, “At no point was Nogales flooded with migrants… I think Nogales is a safe city.” Maldonado also added that the fear being caused by more aggressive immigration enforcement has affected revenue for local businesses.

Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), whose legislative district includes Santa Cruz County, also weighed in, issuing a statement condemning Noem’s visit as a “publicity stunt, plain and simple. Instead of listening to local leaders, she continues to push for militarization, treating border communities like war zones rather than places where families live, work and thrive.”

Protesters ‘welcome’ Noem to Nogales

In response to Noem’s border visit, hundreds of protestors took to the streets of downtown Nogales on Wednesday, flooding the corner of Crawford Street and Grand Avenue, just a few yards from the Dennis DiConcini Port of Entry.

Among the protesters was local student, 18-year-old Carlos Isaiah Cruz, who had been hanging out with friends at a nearby McDonalds when the protest broke out.

“I’ve always told my dad I want to protest about this because it’s not right,” Cruz told CALÓ News referring to the Trump administration’s immigration policies as he proudly held his sign. “It’s frustrating to me. Like, it hurts me knowing that, like, in the future, that I have to worry about my own kids probably getting targeted.”

As Cruz said this, a group of young children were crossing the street nearby, heading back to their homes in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico after spending the day attending school in the United States, a common practice in border communities like Ambos Nogales.

The protest, organized primarily by local members of Indivisible — a nationwide non-profit that provides support for community organizers — went on well into the afternoon, long after Noem’s briefing had ended.

“We are tired of what’s happening with our federal government. We’re not happy with the direction it’s going and we are trying to make a statement, make a voice,” said one of the local Indivisible organizers who went only by the name EJ.

When asked about the reason for the protest, Betty Lentz, another organizer, told CALÓ News, “We just think it’s time for her to go. And she has lied and lied and lied, so we want to make sure that everybody knows.”

“We heard she was coming to southern Arizona, so we wanted to welcome her,” EJ added with a grin.

Lentz and EJ hold a weekly protest in nearby Rio Rico, where they and other locals stand on street corners with signs criticizing the Trump administration, blow whistles and ring bells in the hopes of raising awareness. The weekly protests draw a much smaller crowd than Wednesday’s gathering, but they remain optimistic their efforts are paying off.

“We’re seeing more and more people show up. They’re getting fed up, disgusted with it,” said EJ. “Today the focus really is on ICE and everything that has been going on with ICE and Minneapolis especially. But it’s beyond that too.”

“The overall goal is still just to make it known that we’re not putting up with it. We all have a voice, and we need more people to speak. And if they keep seeing more of us, there’ll be a change.” Betty added.

Immigration enforcement in southern Arizona

Nogales is no stranger to immigration enforcement and border security. The presence of military and law enforcement with the purpose of securing the border dates back to the Civil War. 

Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has taken on a more than usual visible role in the border town. ICE is now a part of daily life for those who cross the border for work, school, shopping or family purposes. These agents, however, aren’t after those coming into the United States, but rather those on their way out.

One local, who asked to remain anonymous, told CALÓ News they witnessed two ICE officers stop and forcibly detain a man who was trying to cross through the pedestrian gate into Mexico before even asking him a question. The man was released and allowed to leave the country minutes later.

CALÓ News has reached out to DHS for comment and clarification regarding the aggressive tactics being used by ICE and the purpose of monitoring outbound gates at ports of entry. At the time of publication, DHS had yet to respond.