Nearly 50 US leaders leaving Arizona for annual Mexico retreat Friday

PHOENIX — Nearly 50 elected leaders from around the nation were expected depart Tempe on Friday on an annual retreat to Mexico.

Joel Navarro, a Tempe city councilmember and president of the Hispanic Elected Local Officials group, said the trip would serve multiple purposes.

“Really [to] get an education and experience on what the issues on immigration, on [the] border, really the boots on the ground stuff that I think is valuable,” he said.

The U.S. leaders on the trip will also look to build connections with officials south of the border.

“Obviously, in this climate, we think it’s important to have this leader-to-leader relationship at a local level,” Navarro said.

One issue Navarro wanted to discuss with border officials was President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall.

“We’ll be crossing the border, we’ll be talking to customs and we’ll be talking to Border Patrol and asking those questions: What about the wall? Is the wall working? What other technology is out there?”

The group also wanted to discuss economic ideas with Mexican leaders, including ways to move products across the border in a more efficient manner.

“We’re competing,” Navarro said. “All these states are competing for money. We need to do a better job of streamlining it.”

The Tempe councilmember said the understanding he and others will gain would allow them to better advocate for trade, immigration and border solutions.

“So our people in the capitol understand that, locally, we understand what’s going on and, locally, we’re going to advocate for these to hopefully happen,” Navarro said.

To prepare for the trip, the group attended workshops on immigration, border security, trade and public health on Thursday.

Follow @CorbinCarson