Border Duty, 1916
Pancho Villa’s attack on Columbus, New Mexico, in the early morning hours of March 9, 1916, set in motion a huge mobilization of the U.S. Army and the National Guard. By July 31, almost 111,000 guardsmen were on the border and an additional 40,000 awaited orders in mobilization camps around the country.
Maricopa County officials urge including all of Arizona in ‘border zone’
More Mexicans would have free reign to travel to all corners of the state under a proposal by the Maricopa Association of Governments that is designed to cash in on Arizona’s status as a border state by boosting tourism and sales tax revenue.
Advocates press on, despite grim 2013 outlook for immigration reform
Immigration overhaul advocates said they will keep fighting, despite a House Republican leader’s comment last week that there is not enough time left on this year’s legislative calendar to act on the issue.
Border Patrol rejects curbs on force
SAN DIEGO (AP) ai??i?? Border Patrol agents will be allowed to continue using deadly force against rock-throwers, the chief of the agency said, despite the recommendation of a government-commissioned review to end the practice.
Panel: Harsher penalties for straw buyers could curb gun traffic to Mexico
Stricter U.S. gun measures are needed to stem the flow of guns to Mexico, where the weapons are fueling violence and leaving people “under siege” with little hope of help from their government, activists said Thursday.
Arizona business groups in Washington lobby for immigration reform
Arizona business leaders were in Washington to lobby the state’s congressional delegation on immigration reform Tuesday, just the latest in a string of groups trying to pressure Congress on the issue.
Report blames national parks maintenance backlog on Congress
Congress is letting maintenance backlogs grow in national parks like the Grand Canyon while continuing to add new sites that the National Park Service cannot afford to maintain, a report Tuesday charged.
Immigration bill’s fate murky on eve of lobbying
WASHINGTON (AP) ai??i?? Prospects for comprehensive immigration legislation this year grew murkier on the eve of an all-out push by a coalition of business, religious and law enforcement to convince the House to overhaul the decades-old system.
Rail and roads
The iArizona Committee is headed by Mesa Mayor Scott Smith and backed by a broad coalition of local politicians, construction contractors and business interests. Their ultimate goal is to boost Arizona’s economy and status as a transportation hub connecting Los Angeles, Dallas and Mexico, as well as linking Arizona’s manufacturing and economic hubs to one another.
Immigration backers keep pressure on House with rallies, conferences
Phoenix resident Hassan Quiz had passed all the tests toward his dream of being in the military when he ran up against one he couldn’t pass.
Arizona advocates try to take immigration appeal directly to Boehner
They rode for 43 hours in a bus from Phoenix, hoping to appeal to House Speaker John Boehner on immigration reform, but when they arrived at his office in Washington they were turned away.
Federal budget deal includes wildfire funds, border guarantees
Tucked inside the bill that reopened the federal government late Wednesday night was language guaranteeing that border-security measures, specifically radar surveillance blimps, would continue to be funded into 2014.