Ex-LUCHA Director Threatens Journalist Investigating Illegal Immigrant Center In Phoenix

Ex-LUCHA Director Threatens Journalist Investigating Illegal Immigrant Center In Phoenix

by | Jan 5, 2024 | News

By Corinne Murdock |

The former executive director of Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), Tomas Robles, threatened to have a journalist arrested for investigating an illegal immigrant transport center in Phoenix. Reportedly, Robles now works with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an international nonprofit; Robles’ LinkedIn reflects that he currently works as a freelance political strategist and doesn’t list IRC. 

In footage released on Wednesday, Robles confronted the journalist, James O’Keefe with O’Keefe Media Group (OMG). O’Keefe questioned Robles about an IRC colleague at the facility, Jesus Moreno, who had offered a bribe to O’Keefe to cease his investigation. Robles initially claimed he didn’t know Moreno, and accused O’Keefe of domestic terrorism. 

“I know that you are harassing people here. I’m asking you to leave before I call the authorities,” said Robles. “I don’t deal with domestic terrorists like yourselves. […] You’re terrorizing people in a domestic country.”

Robles then claimed that O’Keefe directing his speech from a public sidewalk toward IRC’s private property and recording the interaction amounted to trespassing. 

When O’Keefe again repeated that Moreno had attempted to bribe him, Robles challenged O’Keefe for proof of the bribe. O’Keefe captured the attempted bribe on camera. 

Robles then called the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department on O’Keefe. In a later exchange via a phone call, Robles reversed course and seemed to admit he knew Moreno.

Robles accused O’Keefe and OMG of harassment for attempting to conduct a journalistic investigation and obtain comment from the center.

Prior to the IRC role, Robles served as LUCHA’s executive director for nearly a decade. Robles stepped down from that job in 2022. 

LUCHA was founded in late 2009, its primary focus on opposing SB1070, a controversial 2010 illegal immigration law requiring law enforcement to ask for proof of citizenship during traffic stops. The Supreme Court upheld the law in 2012.

In addition to receiving a steady stream of funding from Arizona’s leftist dark money network, LUCHA was linked to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), a nonprofit busted by federal agents for registering illegal immigrants to vote.

Robles’ new gig at the illegal immigrant transport center — the Phoenix Welcome Center — was established by IRC in 2019. 

The center serves as a rest stop for illegal immigrants on their way to other parts of the country by bus or plane. Per their latest available tax filing from 2021, the U.S. government gave IRC $415 million for its work. 

On Wednesday, IRC’s U.S. communications director, Diana Santana, said in a statement to OMG that IRC was reviewing the incident with O’Keefe, Robles, and Moreno internally and with local authorities.

“We aim to create a workplace environment where people feel safe to carry out their work and interact with colleagues, external partners, and the public,” said Santana. 

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

Gov. Katie Hobbs Holds ‘Listening Sessions’ To Understand Border Crisis

Gov. Katie Hobbs Holds ‘Listening Sessions’ To Understand Border Crisis

by | Mar 21, 2023 | News

By Corinne Murdock |

Last week, Gov. Katie Hobbs held “listening sessions” ahead of her third trip to the southern border in order to better understand the border crisis.

Hobbs met with groups that provide housing and transport for illegal immigrants seeking asylum to discuss the anticipated impact of Title 42’s end come May 11. These included Campesinos sin Fronteras, International Rescue Committee, Regional Center Border Health and representatives from Greyhound lines and Sky Harbor International Airport.

The governor claimed in a press release that her administration has “proactively” addressed the crisis. 

“My administration is proactively addressing the myriad of issues with our southern border, and want to hear from organizations on the ground regarding how the administration can better support efforts to coordinate and collaborate on processing these individuals in the most humane and efficient manner,” said Hobbs. 

There have been well over 4.9 million southwest border encounters since President Joe Biden took office. That’s an average of over 197,000 encounters a month. At this rate, there could be well over 9.4 million illegal immigrant encounters by the end of the president’s first term. 

The encounter data doesn’t include gotaways: those illegal immigrants not apprehended but observed crossing into the country. 

Hobbs plans to visit the border on Tuesday; her third since taking office in January, previously visiting Yuma, San Luis, and Somerton. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas plans to join Hobbs for this latest border visit. 

The governor has taken the opposite approach from her predecessor when it comes to border security. Almost immediately after taking office, Hobbs had the shipping containers removed and repurposed into houses for the homeless. Hobbs claimed that former Gov. Doug Ducey’s effort to close the border was a “publicity stunt,” and not a permanent solution.

The state spent about $95 million on construction and $75 million on removal of the shipping containers.

Following her election, Hobbs also pledged to dissolve Ducey’s Border Strike Force (BSF), established in 2015. Hobbs clarified during a press conference last month that the BSF would go away — but not its funding and resources. 

“Right now, the Border Strike Force is not actually being utilized at the border, so we want to coordinate those resources where they can be most helpful with the law enforcement there,” said Hobbs. “It’s really important to listen to the folks working in the field that are experts on these and take our direction from them.”

Hobbs has also advocated for greater benefits to illegal immigrants, asking lawmakers for $40 million to finance illegal immigrants’ college tuition during her State of the State address in January. 

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.