Page 2 - Southeastern Border News Today

It galvanized the community, the rural communities along the border here. many residents say they no longer feel safe in their own homes and theyre tired of waiting for the federal government to secure the border. howard and rosemary hunt live 40 miles from the mexican border in southeastern arizona. in january, they were tied up and robbed by two illegal immigrants, one wielding a machete. is there where you had your first confrontation? >> yes, standing right there. >> i said when he took her ...

Deported and more should be stopped from coming to the u.s. we also asked about the much more rigid immigration law taking effect in arizona later this month. 57% of americans favor the crackdown. 37% oppose. that controversial law in arizona has ignited a firestone between -- firestorm between the governor who signed it and the white house which, of course, opposes it. latest political punches are now being thrown on the internet. here is a political ad from republican governor jan brewer. >> h...

>> reporter: we asked what these current and former arizonians want president obama to say about illegal immigration and border security. >> id like to hear him say that were going to secure our borders first. >> the only thing that would make us feel safe enough to go back is if the border were secured. >> theyre coming across the way they should and getting their papers, fine. but this illegal stuff, no. >> to heck with afghanistan, to heck with iraq to heck with the rest of them. how about us...

National guard on the border between mexico and the united states. so hes trying to show that, you know, he is not weak on this issue, that he understands the threat, the security threat, and yet you need these different facets of the reform, which also include business people who might hire these people. >> jill from the white house, thanks. for many people living near the u.s. mexico border, the debate is more than political. it is about their safety, maybe even their survival. in arizona, the...

Bigger threat than ever. yet, economy mill just bought the stoller property and plans to move his family there. >> the violence will be here, like anywhere else. it will be here. to me it is a better lifestyle for my family to be out in the country versus being in the city. >> reporter: we asked what these current and former arizonans want president obama to say. >> i would like to hear him say we are going to secure our borders first. >> the only thing that would make us feel safe enough to go ...

Picked up, he wonders who will take care of his younger brothers and sisters who are american citizens, and he says, you know, not something he can step up and do because he, after all, is fighting this war. and so he says it is a very, very difficult question for his family. i asked him, i said, but, you know, your family came here illegally, and he says, yes, that is true, they came here illegally 20 years ago. they have tried to legalize through the years and it has not been possible. they do...

Issues. so hes going to talk about the government, beefing up the border, also talking about employers, that they should be taken to task if they hire illegal aliens, and then finally the illegal immigrants themselves, that they should be paying their taxes, certainly getting right with the law, and then applying for citizenship. so what hes really saying is comprehensive reform with at least three different facets to it. >> all right so arizonas law will -- the obama @@ challenge it in court? >...

Said you -- you hit hard. >> reporter: the intruders tied up the hunts in this bedroom and fled in their vehicle. they were caught and sentenced to prison terms. the hunts feel fortunate to have escaped with their lives. the residents of this nearby house also escaped by selling their property and moving to montana where we spoke with terry stoller. >> we thought oh, my, that could have been us. >> reporter: another neighbor was shot and killed by a suspected illegal i am grant. >> when the ranc...

Has always been a hot button issue in the nations border states. they are on the front lines of this battle. >> to heck with afghanistan, to heck with iraq, to heck with the rest of them, how about us? >> okay. couldnt be more direct than that. the violent side of illegal immigration. well hear from the people who have become its victims, only because they live near the border. their store gliz juies in just minutes. were waiting president obamas speech on immigration. hell step up to the podium...

Cnns casey wian looks at the turning point in this case. he is joining from us arizona. casey? >> reporter: the death of rancher rob krentz earlier this year galvanized of communities along the border with mexico. many say they no longer feel safe in their own homes. they are growing tired of waiting for the federal government to secure the border. howard and rosemary hunt live 40 miles from the mexican boarder in southeastern border. in january they were tied up and robbed by two illegal immigr...