Arizonans focus on immigration priorities in Trump’s speech

PHOENIX — The guests of two Arizona lawmakers pointed to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night as differing examples of what needs to be prioritized when it comes to immigration.

Art Del Cueto, the vice president of the Border Patrol union, spoke highly of the nearly 90-minute speech, in which Trump renewed his call for a border wall and cast illegal immigration as a threat to Americans’ safety and economic security.

But Ellie Perez, a Deferred Action for Early Childhood Arrivals recipient who attended as a guest of Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton, called on lawmakers to pass comprehensive immigration reform to protect the hundreds of thousands of young immigrants like her.

“I think it’s great that we have somebody that is still speaking about immigration and the issues that we have with immigration, particularly with securing our nation’s borders,” Del Cueto told KTAR News 92.3 FM. Del Cueto, who works in the Tucson sector, attended the address with U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).

“I think it’s very important that they keep the focus on that. I think it’s disappointing that we have individuals that were voted on by the people of this country to serve the people of this country but their anger and hatred toward the president is more important than their love for this country.”

Del Cueto also called on Congress to pass legislation that included physical barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border as well as putting more boots on the ground.

“We definitely need a combination of things, there is not one thing more important than the other,” Del Cueto said.

“Obviously, there are areas on the southern border that are pretty open and we need better barriers there, but at the same time, you need to retain agents because the agents that are doing their job — you can’t replace experience,” he added.

“I think it goes hand-in-hand, retention of the agents we have and at the same time, better barriers.”

Even though Perez admitted that both the Democratic and Republican parties have failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform, “there is one party right now that is blocking any type” of reform.

“We have to remember that although we should blame both parties, right now, the one that is in power, the one that can do this, it is his party,” Perez told Arizona’s Morning News on Wednesday.

“The president, at the end of the day, he is the one who will have to sign a bill or veto a bill but his Senate won’t even bring such a bill to the floor. It’s the pressure on the party that has the power in the Senate and it’s his. The ball is in his court.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Ashley Flood contributed to this report. 

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