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Arizona governor sends National Guard to border to handle migrant flow

Photo: @GovernorHobbs

December 18 |

Arizona’s governor on Friday ordered the state’s National Guard to be stationed along the border with Mexico to help federal authorities handle the influx of migrants.

Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said she issued the executive order because “the federal government refuses to do its job to protect our border and keep our communities safe.”

“I’m taking action where the federal government won’t,” Hobbs added.

It is unclear when troops would arrive at the border or exactly how many elements would be mobilized.

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Hobbs asked President Joe Biden’s administration a week ago to mobilize 243 Arizona National Guard troops already in the Border Patrol’s Tucson sector – which includes Lukeville – to help federal authorities reopen the border crossing that was closed indefinitely on Dec. 4.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has stated that it was necessary to close the crossing to allow personnel there to assist the Border Patrol in managing the hundreds of migrants who cross illegally through that area daily.

Although remote, the crossing is a popular route for Arizonans traveling to the Mexican resort of Puerto Peñasco, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the border on the northern coast of the Sea of Cortez.

Hobbs said National Guard soldiers will be stationed at various points along the southern border, including around Lukeville.

There, they will be supporting state and local authorities in maintaining security, as well as interdicting drug and human trafficking.

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The San Miguel crossing, located farther east in the territory of the Tohono O’odham First Nation, has also seen hundreds of migrant arrivals each day, but tribal authorities said the National Guard would not be stationed on the reservation.

“We are in close communication with Gov. Hobbs on this issue,” said Verlon Jose, leader of the Tohono O’odham Nation. “We made it clear that no National Guard members would be deployed on the Nation and her office agreed. Today’s action by the governor is a necessary step to address the current crisis on the border.”

Hobbs said the Biden administration did not respond to his request that the federal government reimburse Arizona for border security spending.

CBP officials said they had no immediate response to the governor’s decision.

Lt. Gen. Kerry L. Muehlenbeck, who oversees the Arizona National Guard, noted that in September he concluded a 30-month active duty assignment providing support to law enforcement agencies in southern Arizona.

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Muehlenbeck said the previous mission provided logistical, administrative, cyber and medical support.

U.S. Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, who represents southern Arizona, said he disagreed with Hobbs’ executive order.

“But I do appreciate that Governor Hobbs has rejected the brutal and cruel tactics of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who have taken advantage of this crisis to inhumanely and illegally use migrants as political pawns and to politicize and pander rather than work on real solutions,” Grijalva said in a statement.

International

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s Purse Stolen in D.C. Restaurant Heist

The purse of Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, was stolen on Sunday night at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., Fox News Digital confirmed through several agency sources.

The handbag, taken by a white male wearing a mask, reportedly contained $3,000 in cash along with personal documents, including her passport, keys, driver’s license, and DHS badge, according to an agency spokesperson.

“Her entire family was in town, including her children and grandchildren. She was celebrating her retirement by treating them to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,” the spokesperson added.

Crime continues to be a significant issue in the U.S. capital, particularly theft. However, violent crime reached its lowest level in 30 years last year, according to the Office of the Attorney General at the time.

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International

Pope Francis: The Quiet Architect Behind the U.S.-Cuba Thaw

When then-U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro announced the reestablishment of diplomatic relations in December 2014—after decades of hostility—there was a third figure present in both speeches: Pope Francis.

This thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations—later reversed by Donald Trump—was the result of behind-the-scenes negotiations personally encouraged by Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, just over a year after becoming head of the Catholic Church.

Upon learning the news of the breakthrough, the pontiff humbly stated, “This was made possible thanks to the ambassadors and to diplomacy,” which he called “a noble, very noble job.”

In 2015, months after the announcement, Raúl Castro visited the Vatican and met with the pope. Over time, Castro developed a fondness for Francis that he never had for his predecessors, Benedict XVI and John Paul II. “If the Pope continues talking like this, sooner or later I’ll start praying again and return to the Catholic Church—and I’m not joking,” said the younger Castro, who, like his brother Fidel (1926–2016), had been educated by Jesuits—the same order to which Pope Francis belonged.

Pope Francis visited Cuba later that year. Just days before his arrival, the Cuban government announced the pardon of 3,522 common prisoners as an act of clemency.

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While in Havana, the pope met with Fidel Castro, who gave him a first edition of the book Fidel and Religion by Brazilian friar and liberation theologian Frei Betto.

Criticism from the Opposition

Francis’s diplomatic approach also drew criticism from parts of the Cuban opposition. In a 2022 interview with Univision, the pope revealed he had “a human relationship” with Raúl Castro.

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International

Dominican Republic Declares Three Days of Mourning for Pope Francis

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has declared three days of national mourning starting Tuesday following the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88 in his residence at the Casa Santa Marta.

In an official decree, Abinader highlighted the pope’s legacy “as a global leader who promoted significant reforms within the Catholic Church and was known for his humility, openness to dialogue, and commitment to peace among nations.”

During the mourning period, the national flag will be flown at half-staff at military facilities and public buildings.

According to a statement from the Office of the Presidency, although Pope Francis never visited the Dominican Republic during his papacy, he maintained a close relationship with the country. He expressed solidarity and empathy during difficult times, including offering prayers for the victims of the recent tragedy at a Santo Domingo nightclub on April 8, which claimed 232 lives and left more than 180 injured.

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