JD Vance cracks down on border security during Arizona campaign visit

(The Center Square) – Vice presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. JD Vance focused on border security and the fentanyl crisis during his second visit to Arizona, where he held rallies in both Mesa and Phoenix on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake appeared before Vance at a rally hosted by the conservative Turning Point Action. She also took a firm stance on border security, saying that the ticket of Vance and former President Donald Trump is Arizonan’s best chance at restoring a secure border, noting that there have been record amounts of fentanyl coming across the southern border.

Later in the evening, Vance took the stage for an interview with conservative talk show host Charlie Kirk, who said that Arizonans should support former Trump’s policies when it comes to securing the border and rebuilding the wall at the southern border.

“Border security is actually not that hard, it’s simple,” Vance said. “One, empower the border patrol to stop the bad guys when they try to come across. Number two, deport people who come to this country illegally. Number three is don’t let people claim asylum and then bounce around in our country for 12 years awaiting a court date. Make them stay in Mexico if they want to claim asylum.”

Vance also addressed the increasing amounts of fentanyl being recovered at the southern border, sharing a personal story about his mother who suffered from opioid addiction. He said that he believes if she had been able to access fentanyl, she would not be here today and his family would not be “living the American dream.”

“We have American citizens right now who are dying of fentanyl overdoses that the Mexican cartel has brought into our communities,” Vance said. “We have thousands of missing children because Kamala Harris has let the cartels sex traffic minors in our own country.”

He also said that the increase in migrants entering the U.S. illegally is contributing to increasing costs for Arizonans.

“Think about the fact that the municipal budgets have to pay for the healthcare costs and the schooling budgets of millions and millions of people who shouldn’t be in this country in the first place,” Vance said Thursday at the Phoenix Biltmore Resort. “We have got the richest and most bountiful country in the world. What we need is a leadership that puts American citizens first and not the interests of illegal aliens first.”

Vance added that if Trump is elected, foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally would be deported

“If you are in this country illegally, in six months, pack your bags because you’re going home,” Vance said.

Trump and Vance face Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, in November. Arizona will be a key state in deciding the election, as they flipped blue in the 2020 presidential election with President Joe Biden winning by about 10,000 votes.

Trump holds a three point lead over Harris among Arizona voters according to recent polling done by Noble Predictive Insights.