The compromised southern border of Arizona claimed another three lives on Wednesday according to the latest report from Customs and Border Patrol. Three illegal immigrants identified as Mexican nationals were found dead with surviving members of their group when an emergency rescue beacon was triggered near Sheep Peak, a bare desert mountain rising from the scorching Sonoran Desert floor on The Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range northwest of Ajo.
The surviving illegal immigrants informed ICE that four of their cohort were left behind, one was rescued, three perished in the heat.
According to the Border Patrol press release, “After agents were advised by surviving migrants of four others who had been left behind, and exhaustive air and ground search involving Ajo Station agents and air assets from the Yuma Air Branch was initiated. A second activation of the same Rescue Beacon led agents to a member of the missing migrants, they had been searching for.
The aircrew was able to locate the body of a Mexican male. Shortly after noon, agents located the bodies of the second and third migrant.”
The release noted that the Mexican consulate was notified and the bodies were taken to the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.
Fox59 reported that the deceased were two men, aged 44 and 18, and a 17-year-old girl. On Wednesday the high temperature in nearby Ajo, AZ was 102 degrees. In the remote areas of the desert west of Ajo, temperatures could well reach above 110 degrees and even up to 120 according to NOAA forecasting.
Tucson Sector Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Justin De La Torre said in a statement, “CBP’s message for anyone who is thinking of soliciting the services of smuggling organizations to enter the United States illegally along the Southern border is simple: don’t do it. As is evidenced by this case, when migrants cross the border illegally, they put their lives in peril. The terrain along the border is extreme, the relentless summer heat is severe, and remote areas where smugglers bring migrants is unforgiving. Far too many people who made the decision to place their lives into the hands of the criminal organizations have died of dehydration, and heat stroke.”
As reported by the Associated Press, Pima County authorities have already recorded eight heat-related deaths this year in the border county encompassing the Tucson Metro area and vast stretches of rural and desert land.
Data from CBP.gov shows that since 2018 the number of Rescue incidents in the Tucson Sector jumped from 574 in 2018 to 2,300 in 2022, an increase of just over 400%, the vast majority of which are heat-related. Data from 2023-24 is yet to be published.
The United States Supreme Court ruling in Johnson v. City of Grants Pass, has settled the question of a city’s ability to arrest and fine people for sleeping and encamping in public spaces.
In the 6-3 ruling, the high court found that enforcing laws against camping on streets, sidewalks, and public lands does not constitute “cruel and unusual punishment,” and therefore survives a challenge based on the Eighth Amendment. Communities beleaguered with an entrenched homeless population living illegally on city streets, in vacant lots, and even parks will now be able to clear them and get the homeless, and frequently mentally ill and/or addicted off the streets and hopefully to the resources they need. As noted by AZFamily, the small city of Grant’s Pass, Oregon, was vindicated by the Supreme Court in its assertion that forbidding homeless encampment is not unconstitutional.
Along with Grant’s Pass, the City of Phoenix was also cleared for a new city law to take effect in two months making it illegal to camp within 500 feet of a school, childcare center, or city-owned park as previously reported by AZ Free News. According to The Center Square, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen is quite pleased with the SCOTUS ruling. He told reporters, “This ruling is a victory in our state’s efforts to tackle the humanitarian crisis destroying lives and livelihoods within our communities on a daily basis.”
“Our children shouldn’t be forced to walk to school on streets littered with needles, feces, and trash. The individuals camping out should be discouraged from this practice through enforceable laws and be provided with the mental health or substance abuse services they need to overcome this terrible situation.”
Phoenix’s Democrat Mayor Kate Gallego said in written statement Friday, “Phoenix has continued to make meaningful progress on this issue while simultaneously navigating a web of conflicting legal opinions.” She added, “Today’s Supreme Court ruling provides the necessary clarity we need to help even more people find safe, stable shelter,” as AZFamily reported.
Independent City Councilman Kevin Robinson observed, “We want to have the flexibility (to issue citations). I think it needs to be there if it’s a critical type of situation. But the expectation is we lead with services first. We look for ways to help people.” Democrat Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington added, “The decision provides municipalities with an accountability tool, if and when appropriate.”
Her fellow Democrat Councilman Carlos Galindo-Elvira explained that Phoenix needs to achieve a balanced approach between law enforcement and the dignity of the homeless. “It cannot be open season on the unhoused. That’s not acceptable to me,” he said. “I worry about that everywhere in the United States.”
Although he noted, “Citations have to be an option to ensure equity and to maintain space and access to it.”
Republican Councilwoman Ann O’Brien, who led the encampment ban in the council, told the Arizona Republic that the ruling has affirmed the new ordinance but stressed that Phoenix will continue offering services to the homeless, although for those who refuse assistance, she supports enforcement.
“We want to get them back on their feet. … If we can lead with services, that’s my preference. When they say, ‘No,’ then if that means they need to be ticketed, then I would welcome them to go through the community court process,” O’Brien said.
“What’s important to remember is this isn’t just about the homeless community. It’s about all the citizens of Phoenix and quality of life issues for everyone,” she added.
I am very happy with @USSupremeCourt 6-3 decision that camping bans aren’t considered cruel and unusual. Our Legal Dept is still reviewing the ruling to determine how to proceed. This is a critical step to empower the people to make local decisions in the name of public safety. pic.twitter.com/sQHnGWCrIq
— Councilwoman Ann O’Brien (@CWAnnOBrien) June 28, 2024
The City of Phoenix issued a statement published by ABC15 saying in part, “The City of Phoenix has worked strategically over the last several years to balance court orders from two different lawsuits, community needs, and available resources to address homelessness in our community. The City will continue to lead with services and will not criminalize homelessness, while we evaluate our programs based on the court’s ruling today. The City is confident in the processes created by the Office of Homeless Solutions and supporting departments to address encampments in a dignified and compassionate manner, connecting our most vulnerable residents with services while preserving the quality of life in our neighborhoods for all residents.”
Writing for the majority of the court, Justice Neil Gorsuch reached for the work of Alexis de Tocqueville to conclude his ruling:
“Homelessness is complex. Its causes are many. So may be the public policy responses required to address it. At bottom, the question this case presents is whether the Eighth Amendment grants federal judges primary responsibility for assessing those causes and devising those responses. It does not. Almost 200 years ago, a visitor to this country remarked upon the ‘extreme skill with which the inhabitants of the United States succeed in proposing a common object to the exertions of a great many men, and in getting them voluntarily to pursue it.’ 2 A. de Tocqueville, Democracy in America 129 (H. Reeve transl. 1961).
If the multitude of amicus briefs before us proves one thing, it is that the American people are still at it. Through their voluntary associations and charities, their elected representatives and appointed officials, their police officers and mental health professionals, they display that same energy and skill today in their efforts to address the complexities of the homelessness challenge facing the most vulnerable among us.
Yes, people will disagree over which policy responses are best; they may experiment with one set of approaches only to find later another set works better; they may find certain responses more appropriate for some communities than others. But in our democracy, that is their right. Nor can a handful of federal judges begin to ‘match’ the collective wisdom the American people possess in deciding ‘how best to handle’ a pressing social question like homelessness. Robinson, 370 U. S., at 689 (White, J., dissenting).
The Constitution’s Eighth Amendment serves many important functions, but it does not authorize federal judges to wrest those rights and responsibilities from the American people and in their place dictate this Nation’s homelessness policy. The judgment below is reversed, and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”
A year-long study by the Arizona State University Center for American Institutions examining the Department of Defense (DOD) has identified and soundly condemned what the authors refer to as the “Vast DEI Bureaucracy” that has pervaded the everyday operations of the Pentagon and the varied service academies of the U.S. Uniformed Services. Damningly, the report found that the DOD has spent millions in taxpayer dollars creating a culture of “race and sex-based scapegoating and stereotyping.” The study in and of itself is a brutal excoriation of the military under the Biden Administration and “calls for an immediate end to the Pentagon’s multimillion-dollar DEI bureaucracy.”
The study, “The National Commission on Civic Education in the Military,” was compiled by Commissioners Lt. Col. (ret.) Matthew Lohmeier, Karrin Taylor Robson, and John Cauthen, along with a team of ASU researchers who over the past year evaluated, “the history, evolution, and implementation of diversity and equity programs across all branches of the military and military academies.” The final report is titled, “Civic Education in the Military: Are Servicemembers More Prepared for Micro-Aggression or Macro-Aggression?”
Professor Donald Critchlow, Director of the Center for American Institutions, explained the findings in a release provided to AZ Free News, “Our research reviewed DEI policy in the military starting in the nineteen seventies to the modern day and concluded there are far more effective ways to promote unity and respect among military ranks than by spending millions annually to divide servicemembers by their gender or race.”
Critchlow added, “Just as private companies have abandoned the toxic advice of DEI consultants and programs, military leaders should end social engineering based on critical race theory and restore approaches that promote character and merit.”
The report opens with an Executive Introduction in which Critchlow definitively states, “Given its importance, the U.S. Armed Forces should not be a laboratory for social experimentation, especially one based on Critical Race Theory, a contentious and abstract social theory. Yet, as this Commission Report on Civic Education in the Military shows in great detail, Critical Race Theory is promoted within Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training throughout the military from the Pentagon through the ranks and in our service academies.”
NEWS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Are Necessities in U.S. Military. https://t.co/7WEWrveNcc
A sampling of the most egregious findings includes:
“DEI themes dominate the training and education that members of the armed forces receive about their country. As ‘white supremacy’ and racism have become a central focus of DEI trainings, white supremacist racism is assumed to be the core problem of the nation and of the military.”
“DEI training focuses on rooting out ‘white supremacy’ even though there is little or no evidence that there is a problem of white supremacy in the military. The massive hunt during the stand-down in 2020 located roughly 100 out of a force of 2.1 million.”
“Spending on DEI programming is increasing. The DOD’s allocation for DEI projects jumped from $68 million in fiscal year 2022 to $86.5 million in fiscal year 2023. The Pentagon is requesting $114.7 million for fiscal year 2024.”
West Point Military Academy offers a minor in “Diversity and Inclusion Studies,” with courses such as “Social Inequality,” “The Politics of Race, Gender, and Sexuality,” and “Power and Difference.” In the course description, the report reveals the courses as “an introduction to the theoretical concepts of post-modernism. This will include a focus on Feminist Theory, Critical Race Theory, and Queer Theory.”
U.S. Navy training asserts that servicemembers who reject implicit racial bias are “potential problems” saying, “Participants who refuse to acknowledge how bias has affected their lives or the lives of others may invalidate the experience of those with marginalized identities in the room and cause them harm,” and instructs sailors to “Prioritize a continuing conversation, rather than attempting to shut the conversation down. One suggestion is to acknowledge the bias-denier’s comments and ask for other perspectives from the rest of the group.” A procedure which could be compared to a classic Maoist “struggle session.”
The Army released directives Wednesday prohibiting soldiers from defined extremist activities and guiding commanders on how to handle cases. https://t.co/5JKIPQchKU
As reported by Task and Purpose, an Army directive has been aimed at rooting out “extremism” which includes “requirements set in the 2021 NDAA for service IGs to work with the Deputy Inspector General for Diversity and Inclusion and Extremism in the Military ‘to establish policies, processes, tracking mechanisms and reporting requirements for allegations of supremacist, extremist, and criminal gang activity in the Army,’” citing a statement from Sean Mackintosh of the Army Inspector General Agency.
As Lohmeier, a former Space Force commander who was removed from duty in 2021 after drawing public scrutiny to DEI training, summarized, “It’s no surprise that young people are turning away from military service in record numbers. As this comprehensive report illuminates, DEI indoctrination has become a core component of military training that begins for officers even at the service academies.” He continued, “How can we be prepared to confront our adversaries if our warfighters aren’t laser focused on the mission but instead are divided and distracted by ideology?”
The report makes several recommendations on how the DOD can remediate the situation and begin to undo the damage. It calls upon the Pentagon to:
“Immediately end the DEI bureaucracy or pursue alternative avenues to affect positive change despite existing policies.”
“Return to the military’s outstanding tradition of merit-based selections and promotions and nondiscriminatory equal opportunity.”
“Make the syllabi for all humanities and social sciences courses taught at our military service academies publicly available.”
“Provide educational training materials to enhance personnel understanding of American philosophy, politics, government, and the Constitution.”
Additional scrutiny of Walter Ringfield Jr., currently under arrest for the theft of an electronic security fob used to access vote tabulation machines from the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, has revealed a troubling pattern of implication in criminal actions surrounding Arizona elections.
Caroline Wren, a fundraiser and Senior Advisor to GOP U.S. Senate Candidate Kari Lake, has revealed that Ringfield was named in a 2022 lawsuit between the Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AFEC) and Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections. The lawsuit challenged the registrations of several of its circulators. Ringfield was identified among those circulators with “multiple infractions against them,” in Exhibit A of the lawsuit by the AFEC.
Hi 👋 @azfec, thanks for highlighting this story. Need your help with something.
In 2022 you filed a lawsuit against Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections challenging the circulator registrations. Per exhibit A in your lawsuit, one of those circulators with multiple infractions… https://t.co/07GHGgaUy8pic.twitter.com/u7Tm0XnyfP
In a post to X, Wren asked three questions regarding Ringfield’s mention in the lawsuit:
Who paid Walter to gather signatures for the Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections campaign?
Has Walter been a signature gatherer for any other campaigns or ballot initiatives in Arizona?
What were the nature of the objections against the signatures Walter turned in in exhibit A of your lawsuit?
Arizona Free Enterprise Club President Scot Mussi offered some answers to AZ Free News, explaining that, “In 2022 Ringfield Jr. worked for Sutton and Smart to collect for Free and Fair.”
Mussi added, “This cycle he worked for a time on the Abortion Initative (through Fieldworks) and is currently registered to collect for the RCV/Jungle Primary initiative (Make Elections Fair) through Advanced Micro Targeting.”
Finally, he revealed AFEC’s objections against Ringfield, “As for the objections we made against Ringfield Jr., they dealt with the fact that he failed to properly register with the Secretary of State as a paid circulator.”
In the complaint filed in 2022 by Mussi, the AFEC alleges, “Signatures collected by certain circulators of the Initiative Petition who were required to have been, but were not, properly registered with the Secretary of State are void as a matter of law. Specifically, these individuals either:
a. Failed to register with the Secretary of State prior to collecting signatures in support of the Initiative Petition, and hence did not strictly comply with A.R.S. § 19-118(A);
b. Failed to provide a signed and notarized affidavit averring to the accuracy of the specific information included in their registration for measure I-16-2022, and hence did not strictly comply with A.R.S. § 19-118(B)(5);
c. Failed to provide on their registration submissions to the Secretary of State a full and complete permanent and (if applicable) temporary residential address—to include the relevant apartment or unit number, if the circulator resided in a multiunit complex—and hence did not strictly comply with A.R.S. § 19-118(B)(1);
d. Misrepresented on their registration submissions to the Secretary of State one or more required items of contact information, and hence did not strictly comply with A.R.S. § 19-118(B)(1); or
e. Failed to provide on their registration submissions to the Secretary of State the statutorily required address for service of process, and hence did not strictly comply with A.R.S. § 19-118(B)(4).”
A search of LinkedIn by Wren also confirmed that one “Walter Ringfield Jr” shows a history of volunteering in 2022 with Our Voice Our Vote, which Wren described as “a far-left wing advocacy group funded by Open Society Foundation,” although this is not reflected by his registrations with the Secretary of State.
In an extensive post to X, Wren outlined that Ringfield also has a previous criminal history and was arrested and charged with one count of theft and criminal damage in 2023 having allegedly stolen $1,800 from a former employer citing VoteBeat and noted that he was entered into a diversion program and was not convicted as a result. It was likely due to this diversion that he was able to pass a background check from Maricopa County.
In case you’re new here or just confused as to what the heck is going on in Maricopa County, here is a quick recap:
On Monday, June 24 the Maricopa County Sheriff’s office @mcsoaz released a statement saying there had been a theft by an election worker at the Maricopa County…
Reporting from the Arizona Daily Independent also noted that Ringfield filed a statement of interest in 2023 to run for U.S. Senate as a Democrat and was also implicated in a June 19 theft from the Arizona Senate Building.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Caroline Wren is an attorney. The story has been corrected.
Authorities from the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center (MCTEC) are now re-conducting logic and accuracy testing on county election equipment following the theft of an electronic key fob from the Ballot Tabulation Center last Thursday. The suspect, a now-former employee, Walter Ringfield, 27, was terminated from his role Friday and has since been placed under arrest after surveillance footage revealed him pocketing a red lanyard holding the security device. A police report obtained by the Arizona Sun Times stated that “Walter said the job was temporary and he was trying to make it permanent, so he wanted to clean up,” without further explanation.
Ringfield has been charged with counts of both misdemeanor theft and felony criminal damage and is currently being held by Maricopa County. He was denied bail due to a prior criminal history which the Times noted involved allegedly trespassing and stealing from the Arizona Senate Building.
UPDATE: DPS is investigating a theft of some personal items from a Senate employee. The crime occurred at the Senate on June 15th. The suspect appears to be the same individual recently arrested for stealing from Maricopa County. In response to requests from the public, we are… pic.twitter.com/RrNZQ4Q7f4
A county spokesman explained via email to The Center Square, “On Friday morning, when completing a daily inventory, Maricopa County elections workers identified that an item was taken from the Ballot Tabulation Center on Thursday evening, and staff took immediate action to investigate the matter and contacted the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.”
They added, “The stolen item has been recovered but to ensure the integrity of Maricopa County Elections, election workers are reprogramming and re-conducting logic and accuracy testing of all equipment.”
At a joint press conference Tuesday, Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates and Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner explained that the device is used on election day to access tabulators. Gates told reporters, “So this black security key right here, this is utilized under normal circumstances. This is just used on Election Day. This is for the Election Day tabulators. So the folks who are involved in that going out to the 223 vote centers that we have across Maricopa County on July 30, on primary day. This will be out there. What we do at the beginning of each day, we do an inventory check and make sure that we have all of these black security keys.”
He added, “We did that on Friday morning. We found that one was missing. So immediately, our team and elections, they spoke to all of the people who were working in the ballot tabulation center on Thursday, the day before, and they also reviewed the security camera footage. So we have security cameras, we also have the live stream cameras. They evaluated that, and they determined that the suspect that we’ve been talking about had taken the black security key and put it in his pocket and then removed it from the ballot tabulation center.”
“When people who we have entrusted to work on elections violate that trust, we’re going to act upon it. We’re going to act strongly, we’re going to get to the bottom of it and we’re going to make sure [that] if there’s someone else who decides to do something like this, we’ll be on the phone with the sheriff again,” Gates said.
“We’re not messing around here. This is too important and we know that the residents of Maricopa County and the voters of Maricopa County are trusting in us to make sure that this is a safe and secure election.” The Arizona Secretary of State’s office said in a statement published by the New York Post that actions taken by Maricopa County following the incident should “reassure the public” about the “security measures in place.”
“Our systems are not only designed to detect anomalies but are also supported by dedicated professionals committed to upholding the democratic process. While this event is unwelcome, it speaks the effectiveness of the security protocols built into Arizona’s election systems.”
“The swift actions of the Maricopa County elections staff, including the re-conducting of logic and accuracy tests, builds in extra layers of protection of all affected equipment. This quick response will prevent any potential impact on the upcoming elections. The Secretary of State’s office will collaborate with law enforcement to address and investigate this incident to ensure accountability and swift justice,” the statement concluded.
Maricopa County told the press in a statement that the leadership of both parties were notified Friday of the new Logic and Accuracy testing along with information about the theft and the County’s actions. Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement published by the Times, “The RNC and AZGOP dispatched attorneys and observers on the ground as part of our election integrity program to gather information and promote transparency as the situation developed. The RNC and AZGOP have a long history of engaging in Maricopa County election issues both in the field and in the courtroom, and yesterday’s events are an example of our election integrity program’s capacity to provide real-time legal response when issues arise at tabulation centers. This incident raises serious questions about election security in Arizona that must be answered – we will be constructively engaged with Maricopa County officials to ensure that the remedies to this security breach sufficiently address our concerns.”
