Border Crossings
I’m Bob Larson. American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall recently toured farms located along the southern border of the United States.
He says state Farm Bureau’s along the border reached out to ask for help dealing with safety concerns regarding a rise in the number of people crossing the border from Mexico into the U.S. …
DUVALL … “We've seen the how serious the situation is for our farmers. It is heartbreaking to see and hear some of the stories that I've heard this week. You know, they've experienced people coming across our border for decades but never at the level that we're seeing it today.”
Duvall says the farmers and ranchers worry about the safety of their families and employees’ … as well as the costly damage they do …
DUVALL … “They're worried about the security of their property and the farm machinery and equipment. Some of them had their homes looted, they've seen their fences torn down numerous times, with great expanse to them. They’ve seen water sources tampered with and compromised during this time.”
Farmers, Duvall says are even finding the dead bodies of people who couldn’t finish their journey …
DUVALL … “We've heard discussions about farmers and ranchers finding people that have not made the trip and passed away, and it's really been heartbreaking to see and experience what I have the last two days.”
Duvall says his main message for Washington, D.C., is that border law enforcement officials are overwhelmed and it’s time to uphold the laws of the land.
