In a recent Arizona Daily Star (ADS) report, non-governmental organizations (NGO), also known as humanitarian aid groups, claimed they were being threatened by “armed vigilantes” and “right-wing propagandists” who had taken to social media publishing videos with false accusations that the self-proclaimed “migrant aid” groups were aiding and abetting illegal immigrants, traffickers, terrorists and the Mexican cartels.
The report lamented that a Tucson “migrant aid shelter” had to boost security for fear of being targeted and harassed by right-wing media personalities. One of the sites with boosted protection is Casa Alitas, a shelter run by the Catholic Community Services of Sothern Arizona for so-called asylum-seeking families.
The report also complained about the growing anti-immigration sentiment in the U.S. and claimed it stemmed from white supremacist rhetoric similar to Hitler’s writings. It drew attention to aid workers fearing “white men with guns.”
In a recent CNJ interview, a retired border patrol officer who spoke on the grounds of anonymity shared a video of a humanitarian aid worker wearing a toe strap pulling a section of the border wall back to give illegal immigrants access to the U.S. These types of video, although criticized by legacy media as “right-wing propaganda” show exactly what is going on in remote sections of the border, while federal, state, and local officials on many counts turn a blind eye to blatant breaking of the law.
In contradiction to the Pima County Sheriff’s statement to the ADS about aid groups assisting immigrants – “They’re staying out of the politics. They’re giving them water and giving them food. They are not taking them into the country. In fact, most of the time, they just sit there (with migrants) and contact Border Patrol.” – the video obtained by CNJ indicates the opposite.
James O’Keefe, founder and lead reporter for O’Keefe Media Group, was named in the Arizona Daily Star’s article as one of the “right-wing activists” targeting Casa Alitas. The article said O’Keefe “falsely claimed” that he uncovered a “secret facility” that Americans didn’t know about at the Casa Alitas’ Drexel Center in Tucson. The Arizona Daily Star countered O’Keefe’s comment with a description of the property being purchased and very much in the news in Tucson. Of course, Tucson was aware and knew about the facility and its operations. You shouldn’t have to say things like this, but Tucson, Arizona, isn’t all of America. Many Americans had no clue of what Casa Alitas is or does. OMG’s investigative reporting is shining sunlight in dark places, giving the best disinfectant possible.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told reporters recently that the people who are crossing the border are from around the globe. He highlighted the variety of countries: Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria, Iraq, China, the most of whom are 18–40-year-old men.
“How did they get here and why are they coming,” he said. “This is serious, life and death, fentanyl, criminals’ killers, drug dealers, this is life and death,” he concluded. “Joe Biden needs to secure the border.”
OMG investigative team infiltrated a Ramada Inn, a holding facility for illegal immigrants run by Casa Alitas. O’Keefe disguised himself as a drunk homeless vagrant and an illegal Mexican immigrant turned whistleblower, wore a hidden camera and found several hundred immigrants in the hotel, all under 40 and overwhelmingly males.
The undercover work revealed Casa Alitis provides the immigrants with airline tickets to wherever they want to go, it also uncovered that gang members were among those illegally crossing and that the NGO’s were getting paid by the government no matter what but the more immigrants the better the payment.
The police presence around the facility was immense and O’Keefe was told the place was none of business, to move along, and get off the property multiple times, finally being officially trespassed. However, the police were present as a bus load of illegal immigrants traversed to the hotel door and O’Keefe questioned the officer, about the bus full of immigrants. The officer evaded O’Keefe’s questions, giving the appearance the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is involved in the operation.
Robyn Spradlin is a freelance journalist working as a contributor for Christian News Journal covering news and politics on the national and state levels. She has worked as a copywriter for Victory News on the Victory Channel since 2022. Robyn has an BA in Communication Studies and MA in Journalism from Regent University and is a member of the Evangelical Press Association. She is an author, evangelistic minister and a musician. She lives in South Florida where she enjoys the outdoors when she’s not writing.