Protestors in Arizona on Saturday are trying to shut down the only road leading to GOP presidential frontruer Donald Trump rally in the Arizona, ahead of a full day of campaign events in the border state, which holds key primaries Tuesday.
The town hall-style meeting in Fountain Hills, Ariz., near Scottsdale, and will be followed by a bigger rally in Phoenix Convention Center.
Trump, who early in his campaign visited the border, leads the GOP field in Arizona with 34 percent of the vote, followed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 21 percent and Ohio Gov. John Kasich at 13 percent.
The rallies and protest follow a local border patrol union of Friday supporting Trump.
Local 2544 said Trump asked for the endorsement and that officials responded by saying he is the only 2016 White House candidate to “publicly expressed his support” of the Border Patrol’s mission and it agents and that he has been “an outspoken candidate on the need for a secure border.
However, Art Del Cueto, president of the Tucson-based union, made clear that he would adhere to the larger National Border Patrol Council’s practice of not endorse presidential candidates.
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The endorsement comes as Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- the self-styled “America’s Toughest Sheriff” who has already endorsed Trump -- is scheduled to participate in the rallies.
The state has long been ground-zero for the illegal immigration debate -- with roughly 368 miles of border with Mexico and more border fence than any other state. Roughly 30 percent of Arizona’s population is Hispanic. And in 2010, Arizona passed one of the strictest anti-immigration laws in American history.
The Supreme Court later upheld the most controversial part of the law -- commonly referred to S.B. 1070 and that allows police to try to determine the immigration status of anybody arrested or detained when officers have “reasonable suspicion” the person is in the U.S. illegally.
However, the law also sparked widespread opposition including businesses threatening to leave the state.
Trump has vowed if elected to build a wall along the entire southe border and “make Mexico pay for it.” He and Cruz essentially call for those living the United States illegally to retu to their home country, while Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Beie Sanders want to allow them to stay.
Sanders is scheduled Saturday to hold a press conference at the border in Nogales, Arizona, then a rally at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix.
The Vermont senator has already had a battle of words with Sheriff Arpaio and his tough illegal-immigration methods. He accused the Arpaio of ambushing his wife, Jane, as she was touring the sheriff’s Tent City for inmates on Thursday. Sanders also called him a “bully” and said, “Watch out, Joe.”
Clinton leads Sanders by double digits in Arizona, according to most polling.