photo courtesy Alexis Weiss/CRONKITE NEWS: Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and Robert Trenshell Center, President and CEO of Yuma Regional Medical Center, testified before the House Homeland Security Committee on the impact of rising immigration on communities .

To Alexis Weiss/ Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Arizona officials told a House committee on Tuesday that local law enforcement and health workers are ill-equipped to deal with the recent surge in immigration at the southern border.

Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and Yuma Regional Medical Center President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Robert Trenchell testified as part of a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on the “border crisis.” It was the latest in a series of Republican hearings, two of which were held this month in Arizona’s border community, attacking the Biden administration over its handling of the border.

Lam testified that trafficking cases in his county had quadrupled in the past two years, and fentanyl pill seizures had increased by more than 600% over the same period.

“Our greatest frustration stems from being told that this administration and the media are lying that there is no crisis on the southern border and that the southern border is safe. prepared a testimony. “Obviously our statistics tell a different story. The story is that the border is not safe.”

This was a recurring theme by the Republican Party in many elections. 3 hours public hearing – Entitled “Every State Is a Border State: Commissioner Mayorcas’ Investigation into the Border Crisis,” he argues that fentanyl smuggling and human trafficking is damaging communities across the country, not just along their borders. Did.

But Democrats countered that Republicans were not interested in solutions such as immigration reform or addiction treatment, but only in gaining political talking points with xenophobic and fear-mongering rhetoric.

“We are a country of immigrants, so I believe the widespread attacks on immigrants we are hearing today are un-American,” said Rep. Robert Garcia of the California Democratic Party.

“We want to work with our colleagues … to understand that our port of entry is also a place of massive influx of fentanyl,” Garcia said. “But drug treatment programs, mental health We also need to talk about care, access to care, but nothing has been done in this commission today.”

Hearings come at a time when concerns at the southern border have dropped sharply, but still recording level, According to Customs and Border Protection data, 2.5 million immigrants were arrested last year.The affiliated office also reported fentanyl seizures The total at ports of entry in 2022 is £14,699, more than triple the amount confiscated in 2020.

Trenschel and Lamb say this is not just a federal problem.

“Yuma has a population of only 100,000, but 300,000 cross the border a year. We are the only hospital they go to,” Trenschel said before the hearing. “So they came to us and it has had a significant and disproportionate impact on our hospital. We need a source of payment for these individuals. is what you need.”

hello similar plea Last week when Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee held a field Listen in Yuma. Trenshell testified Tuesday that the Yuma Regional Medical Center has earned $26 million in uncovered medical bills over the past year by treating immigrants who can’t pay.

“One hospital should not and cannot pay for the health care costs of a national immigration problem that is seriously impacting Arizona and our communities,” he told the commission. rice field.

However, Trenschel’s testimony was largely overlooked by members of the commission. Republicans spent most of the hearing blaming the Biden administration for the fentanyl surge. Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Green, a Republican, said administration officials “had blood on their hands because they refused to secure our borders.”

That line of attack wasn’t lost to D-Md Rep. Glenn Ivey. He said Republicans on the committee had discussed criminal charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorcas and the possibility of a military strike in Central America, but he said there were no plans to actually address the border situation. No mention was made of funding the program.

“They want to talk about prosecuting Mr. Majorcas for manslaughter and dismissing Mr. Majorcas,” Ivey said. “However, there has not been much discussion about resolving the border crisis, which we thought would be addressed at this hearing.”

Tucson Republican Rep. Juan Siskomani said Congress needs to address both the fentanyl stream that Republicans are eyeing and immigration reform that Democrats are demanding.

“I really believe that we can talk about immigration and border security. I’m interested in both,” said Ciscomani. “I am clearly an immigrant and live in a border community.”

David Beer, deputy director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, said the drug problem will not go away as long as there is demand in the United States, and that most immigrants, especially asylum seekers, do not bring crime with them. . Data show immigrants have low incarceration rates and contribute significantly to economic productivity.

“We’ve talked about car chases hurting Americans. We’re talking about recruiting teens to participate in private smuggling operations. These problems … actually work. and will be dissolved under a legal immigration system that serves the needs of the American community,” Bier said.

Lam said federal action has been long overdue.

“What happened in my backyard today will happen in your front yard tomorrow, no matter what condition you’re in,” Lamb said in his testimony. It is also being bought and sold.”