On Monday evening the only thing blocking the road up to the Sycamore Boys Ranch, in Oracle, Arizona was cow standing in six inches of muddy water left by Sunday’s monsoon. By 7:00 a.m. this morning, residents from across Arizona are expected to be peacefully blocking the dirt road and the settlement of approximately 50 Unaccompanied Alien Children.
Last week, after being informed by “whistle blowers” within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security they plan to transfer between 40 and 60 unaccompanied illegal minors to the “Sycamore Canyon Boys Academy” in Oracle, Sheriff Paul Babeu shared that information with the residents of the area.
On Monday night, a handful of residents of Oracle, a sleepy little town nestled in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, made their way up to the Academy on their ATVs and horses to see what all the fuss was about.
The town of Oracle, with a population of 3,686, is close community. Just 120 miles north of the U.S. Mexico border, the town is comprised of 55 percent White and 41 percent Hispanic residents. News travels fast in the poor little town, approximately 120 miles north of the U.S. Mexico border. With a per capita income of only $26,689, the residents scrape by.
One man, who said he is an Oracle resident, came to sit vigil. The tall, lean cowboy brought his flip phone to report to other residents what was happening at the site. He also brought tape and hand-cut letters and symbols, with which to send the residents’ message: “No MS-13 welcome here.”
He said that he welcomed immigrants to the country he loves. He can’t abide any gang members; they don’t have gang members in Oracle and they don’t want to start.
The Academy is unsecured. Surrounded by nothing other than scrub oak and Pine trees, the walk from the ranch to the little town, and the highway, would be a piece of cake for anyone who survived La Bestia.
“This isn’t the responsibility of my county supervisor. This isn’t the responsibility of my sheriff. This is the responsibility of my president, but he’s not here,” said the cowboy. He said he didn’t know who was his county supervisor, never needed to know, but he does know who Sheriff Paul Babeu is, “He is a big, brave, gay, patriotic defender of the constitution,” he says as if he would lay down his life for him, and as if he believed Babeu would do the same for him.
In little towns across the west, sheriffs are the peacekeepers. So when Sheriff Paul Babeu notified the residents of Pinal County, they were not alarmed, they were alert.
Resources like water are as scarce in Pinal County as fear is abundant. The cartels run their drug loads through the desolate deserts in the lower lands of Pinal County. Signs scattered across the desert warn visitors of cartel activity and the associated dangers to the innocent.
On Monday, Babeu issued a press release officially notifying the media that his office had taken actions to ensure the peace and tranquility of the residents of his County. “Our office has communicated with Homeland Security to express our public safety and public health concerns. We have already reached out to the director of the Sycamore Canyon Boys Ranch who has confirmed Homeland Security has been in negotiations with the facility to temporarily house the minors. The facility has increased their staff by approximately 30 employees in preparation for their anticipated arrival sometime tomorrow.”
Sheriff Paul Babeu stated, “We already have our hands full fighting the Drug Cartels and Human Smugglers. We don’t need unaccompanied juveniles from Central America being flown into Arizona – compliments of President Obama. Local residents have every right to be upset and to protest. Our federal government has failed to enforce any immigration laws. These children should be returned to their home country – not to Oracle, Arizona paid for by American taxpayers.” Sheriff Babeu continued “We understand there will be protesters who support and oppose ICE bringing the foreign juveniles to Oracle. The Sheriff’s Office will work to ensure the peace is maintained at these lawful assemblies.”
For that, he was accused of rallying the lynch mob by columnist Tim Steller with the Arizona Daily Star. In response, Babeu issued a statement: “Mr. Steller always has negative comments against anybody who believes the United States should have a secure border and should enforce all of our laws.”
The protestors, and the vast majority of Americans happen to agree with Babeu and support secure borders and follow the law. A lynching is not what they have in mind.
In fact, if anyone is doing the hanging, it is the Obama administration that has hung them out to dry.
As the Oracle cowboy, who did not want to be identified, said he welcomes immigrants and came to the site armed only with his tape and hand-cut message. As he assembled his homemade message he said, “We are a nation of immigrants, and we are a nation of laws.”
The people of Arizona only want the government to follow the same laws they do, said the soft-spoken cowboy.
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