Broadcast to Web Story Assignment (Mon/Thurs 12:30-1:45pm class)

Horse trailer holding 79 illegal persons found
(by Sibylla Chipaziwa)

Phoenix police found a horse trailer with 79 illegal immigrants this afternoon. Inside, 68 adults and 11 children – one being just four months old – were discovered. They had been left in the trailer for two days, but all were in reasonably good health.

Bob Brunelle, a business owner in the area for 30 years now, stated that he has seen the community turn into a dumping ground for illegal immigrants over time. “It’s weekly like I said. You see vans pull in here, drop ‘em off, and then the guy drives off and the people just disperse in the neighborhood.” He went on to say, “ I’ve called before and told [the police] there was a van in the alley here with a lot of people in it, well, you’ll have to contact so-and-so, and by the time they get contacted, the van’s gone.”

This time around, Brunelle did not have to call anyone. A Phoenix police officer spotted the trailer, even saw the driver take off, and found the 79 persons inside. They were loaded onto a bus by the Immigration Customs Enforcement and taken to a temporary holding facility in downtown Phoenix. “I’m just glad they did something about this. It’s too bad there were those two babies in there, they took a hell of a chance,” said Brunelle. 

An Immigration Customs Enforcement spokesperson later stated that most of the illegal immigrants were expected to be sent back home tonight.

For more information on the Immigration Customs Enforcement, click here to visit their website.