Conservative group Americans for Prosperity leads South Carolina, Iowa and New Hampshire legislators on local border tour

YUMA, Arizona (KECY, KYMA) – Americans for Prosperity, an influential conservative group, led a group of lawmakers from several states on a border tour of Yuma on Wednesday.

The group includes legislators from South Carolina, Iowa, and New Hampshire.

They heard from Yuma Mayor Doug Nichols and County Sheriff Leon Wilmot about the challenges facing the region with the mass migration across the border.

Republican Rep. Jim Coffalto of New Hampshire said he believes the border issue extends to his home state.

He believed it was important to see the problem up close in order for him and his colleagues to address the challenges of the Northeast on a criminal and humanitarian level.

“The biggest impact we are seeing is from the opioid crisis. “There are a lot of people who want a better life, but we need to treat them with compassion and I see a lot of compassion going on here.”

Former Yuma division head Chris Klemm joined the tour and offered his perspective.

He said he hoped more groups like this would make an effort to travel to the southern border to see for themselves.

“The real problem is here at the border and the communities affected by it. said Clem.