Adam Klepp
@AdamKleppAZ
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Reporter for @abc15 in Phoenix, AZ [email protected] ✉️
Joined September 2021
Live from Lukeville, AZ. The Tucson sector is getting hit hard with mass crossings right now. Migrants here are from Ecuador, Guinea, Senegal, and more. Follow along with me today.
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The line to enter the U.S. is only growing after the sun is up here in Yuma. The end of Title 42 is coming at 9pm local time.
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3rd straight Monday in Lukeville. Welcome back everybody for the march of the migrants.
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Lots of support for Kari Lake as she makes a campaign stop in Yuma today. More coming on KYMA @ 5/6/10 pm!
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There’s hundreds of people who have been here for days and haven’t eaten. Everyone is extremely agitated. The situation feels like it is past the breaking point.
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AZ Senators won't be your border tour guide. Sinema: "Take your political theater to Texas. Do not bring it to my state.”. Kelly: “What I don’t want to see is my Republican colleagues coming to Arizona and yelling about the border anymore.”
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Deported migrants in Nogales, Mexico say it’s the end of the road. Many have been given papers saying they’re barred from entering the U.S. for years.
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“Let me go home,” George Alan Kelly speaks after the mistrial was declared. The Mexican Consulate said they hope the state will re-try the case and justice will be served.
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“We call that economic migrancy,” Senator Sinema says about the people I’ve been interviewing saying they’re coming to the United States to work. “We’ve got to change the law so the folks who are coming in to claim asylum are actually facing asylum, and are not economic workers.”
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Migrants like Javier who crossed in Lukeville just two days ago are being street released in Nogales this morning.
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The situation from last week has worsened. Could be 1,000 migrants here at the wall in Lukeville.
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HAPPENING NOW: “die-in” by a Tucson pro-palestinian group. It’s outside a Raytheon plant on Hermans road and Nogales highway.
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Reports out of Lukeville is there’s no migrants there the day of Governor Hobbs’s visit, after two weeks where 35k+ crossed. Hmmmm….sounds familiar @JonnyPorter_
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Down come the containers. Each of these weighs over 4 tons.
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Undeterred by Biden's border oder: Watch as smugglers send migrants into the U.S. early this morning east of Sasabe, Arizona.
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@BillMelugin_ @Julio_Rosas11 The first guy also came up to me yesterday. I guess he is still there!.
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Live look at the migrant camp just outside Sasabe, AZ. Crossings continue every day here in the Tucson Sector.
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George Alan Kelly’s defense attorney Kathy Lowthorp says the mistrial was caused by one holdout juror who believed Kelly to be guilty. She says the other 7 wanted to vote for acquittal.
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Container removal begins in Yuma well before the sun rises. First to go are the containers which the local Cocopah Reservation claimed were placed on their sovereign land without permission.
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You never know what stories are at the border. Olga Garcia flew from Utah to visit her family in Mexico. Because of her immigration status, she can only visit with them through the border wall. 📍Nogales, AZ
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There is so much trash here that has accumulated. It’s blowing everywhere, including into Mexico. No bathrooms, one dumpster here where the migrants are waiting days to be arrested.
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Inside Santa Cruz County Court when the state dropped the murder charge against George Alan Kelly.
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Tonight the federal government told Arizona it “trespassed” when it put shipping containers on federal land. Before the containers migrants trespassed into the U.S. at this spot daily, to make a legal asylum claim. (Video from April 4th, 2022)
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Migrants drop to their knees, some crying after video shows Mexican authorities rescuing them from a safe house in SLRC, the border city just south of Yuma County.
133 migrantes extranjeros rescatados de casas de seguridad en la ciudad fronteriza de San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora. Niños, mujeres y hombres permanecieron privados de su libertad durante semanas.
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Migrants are arguing about their spot in line. They say some men cut in front of them.
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Just spoke with Senator Sinema about the current state of the Yuma Border. She says Air Marshalls were sent to the Yuma Sector to assist with processing. "It was their [Biden Admin.] job to prepare. and it was their choice to end Title 42 today.". More coming on @KYMA11.
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Smugglers get everyone in by cutting holes in the border wall.
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Kari Lake received local endorsements from Mayor Nicholls, Supervisor Lines, State Rep. Dunn, and others during her visit to Yuma today.
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Surreal to see this spot empty after two weeks of a constant migrant presence. With everyone gone you can really see how much trash has piled up.
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A little Mexican girl sells crackers and cookies to this man from India.
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Crossings seem to be surging here in Yuma just an hour after Title 42 expired. Over the past few months migrants did not start crossing until around 1am local time.
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One last look for today - I have to go or else I wont make deadline. The group has thinned somewhat but still hundreds here. Thank you for following along and sharing my work today . My full report will be on @kgun9 this evening.
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Looking for name suggestions for my friend the border horse.
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"God bless your country." - Lukeville, AZ (12-11-23). As seen on TV:
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Hi everyone! This will be my last week reporting in Yuma. I’m thankful for everyone who has helped me along the way. Looking forward to finishing the week strong and the opportunities to come☀️
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When I walk around with my camera I get surrounded by people begging for help, information, and wanting to share what is happening here.
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@tiffanie_tx Thanks! While I am a citizen and also a journo, I am employed by Scripps owned ABC affiliate KGUN9 in Tucson. My bosses are supportive of my work.
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I followed up with the manager of the 'Why Not Travel Store' here in Why, Arizona. She says employee hours have already been cut. If the port stays closed for too much longer she'll be forced to only be open a few days a week.
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Migrants tell me they’ve been waiting 12+ hours for Border Patrol to formally arrest them. They’re making fires to keep warm while they wait.
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Most migrants I’ve seen street released here by border patrol so far. I have been to Nogales five times. Lots of families today.
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Spoke with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Senator Mark Kelly today about the RAISE grant money coming to Yuma to turn Hotel Del Sol downtown into a transportation hub. Full story on @KYMA11 at 5
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Meanwhile…steel beams are being placed in the Yuma wall gaps.
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Protesters have been laying in the street blocking traffic for over 10 minutes. “We’re going to hold this space until we are interfered with.”
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Mayor Nicholls announces tomorrow local Border Patrol will release 141 people into the Yuma community, the first street releases here in two years.
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17,500 total apprehensions - a historic week in the Tucson Sector. Thank you for following along! . Time for some R&R this weekend, and then it's back to the border Monday.
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Just me and around 70 migrants this morning east of Sasabe, AZ.
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"We have a vote to proceed to debate, and it looks like it will fail.". I spoke with AZ Senator Mark Kelly this morning about the upcoming procedural vote in the senate today on the border bill. He said Tuesday was one of the most disappointing days he's had as a U.S. Senator.
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Smugglers watch from the hill , numbers are down but the cat and mouse game between the cartel and Border Patrol continues in Sasabe, AZ.
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Making some friends and training future journalists in Nogales. Mostly families with young kids are being released here this morning.
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Locals from the Mexico have shown up and are trying to sell water, soda, and powerade to the migrants. There is also a group of Mexican women who are bringing food and water for free.
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SHIPPING CONTAINERS:. Current AZ Gov. Doug Ducey is not complying with federal request to remove them from Yuma’s wall gaps. What will Arizona’s next governor do about them?. I asked.
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Interview with a migrant from Costa Rica on the streets of Chicago. I’m on the road this week seeing how midwestern cities are feeling the impact of the border crisis.
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They’ve now been in the street for almost an hour. Law enforcement is here but has not attempted to remove the group of 100+ from Hermans Road.
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And that’s a wrap from this week at the wall - thanks everyone for watching!
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A new breach in the border here, @PatParrisTV was live at the processing area in Lukeville as these migrants arrived. We'll be back live at 6pm on @kgun9 with the latest.
A lot more are coming. Crossings still taking place. They tell us there are hundreds behind them.
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Migrants families with young kids are being transported out in vans, but they can only seat so many. It’s a drop in the bucket compared to the numbers that are here.
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On my way back to Lukeville to continue our border coverage. None of these Border Patrol checkpoints on the way have been open during any of my recent trips.
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“PORT OF ENTRY CLOSED”. In Lukeville a surge of illegal border crossings is shutting down legal travel. Stay tuned for more coverage.
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An inside look at the biggest homeless encampment in Tucson. Looking forward to sharing more soon as part of an in-depth report.
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I spoke to Mohammed Swaray from Liberia today in Nogales. He is one of the few migrants I've met and interviewed that speaks english so I will share a few longer clips form our interview that won't all fit in today's report. Swaray on his journey to the U.S.⬇️
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This week I rode along with a local cab driver who often ends up taking migrants to the Tucson airport. I'm excited to share this report soon as part of a larger border special with Scripps.
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Thank you all for following along today and sharing my reporting. The coverage continues tomorrow as today I also spoke to business owners being hurt by the port closure.
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The port is being used for Border Patrol to process migrants.
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Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls (@MayorNicholls) announces local migrant releases to take place tomorrow:
BREAKING: Local media in Yuma, AZ reporting Border Patrol street releases of migrants will begin tomorrow for the first time in two years, citing the Yuma mayor.
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Migrants in hotels in Tucson…. Following up on a viral video posted by a U.S. Congressman causing a lot of confusion and controversy about the situation here. I’ll break it all down for you today on @kgun9
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AZ Senator Kyrsten Sinema says she's not worried at the moment about recent negative sentiment from Republican senators on the border bill. She tells me a text will be publicly out "early next week".
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@DundeeLord He wasn’t found not guilty. There was a mistrial meaning the jury couldn’t come to a unanimous decision. A mistrial does not count in double jeopardy.
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A migrant from Venezuela says he has been sleeping on the "warming buses" with his three children for six days. He says the people here tell him there is nowhere else to go because Chicago's shelters are full.
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As seen on TV - Lukeville, AZ (12/07/23). Thank you for continuing to follow my work here at the border. I'll be back again 🔜
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The manager of the 'Why Not Travel Store' in Why, Arizona is expecting a 50-70% dip in gas sales due to the Lukeville Port closure. They rely on the Rocky Point travelers. An example of how the ongoing border issues are hurting Arizonans and threatening their financial security.
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On Monday, Yuma Sector Border agents recovered the body of a 5 year old migrant who drowned in the Colorado River. The body was found after the mother told border patrol when she was in custody that she handed her child to an “unknown individual” in the group she crossed with.
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Avoid Speedway by I-10 right now heading both east and west.
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Javier just sent me this photo. He and his family are now in Alaska. He says it is “mucho frio”.
Migrants like Javier who crossed in Lukeville just two days ago are being street released in Nogales this morning.
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George Alan Kelly arrives at court as jury deliberations continue today. On Friday the jury told the judge they were struggling to agree on a verdict, we will see what today brings.
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Legal cross border travel and trade has been shut down at the Lukeville Port of Entry for nearly a month due to the surge in illegal immigrantion. Now migrants are gathering here after illegally crossing the border. A look at what the port is now being used for this morning ⬇️
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This migrant later came up to agents asking for food. BP told him he cut in line and caused a fight.
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Somehow I have been reporting from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument for over a month and haven’t shared a pic of an Organ Pipe cactus. This is the only place in America where Organ Pipe cactuses grow in the wild.
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Street releases continue in Nogales, but with the cold weather migrants are now being held in a nearby bank while they wait for buses. Nogales Mayor Jorge Maldonado says the bank has been closed for a few years.
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D.C. border negotiations update:. Just spoke to Senator Sinema who says they're down to the final items and she feels they are very close to presenting a text/framework to their colleagues. See more from our conversation this evening on @kgun9 and
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“Too many people are claiming asylum when they have no right to that claim,” Senator Sinema says. Adds sending AZ National Guard to Lukeville can’t help re-open the port. "The folks who work for DHS are the only individuals who are legally allowed to process these individuals.”
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It’s nearly impossible to show how big of a mess it is here. There’s a dumpster on site but not everything gets in. Trash, full diapers, and wet spots line the ground. Migrants are coming up to me and asking for help getting out of here.
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