Battleground state ranchers 'furious' over Biden halting wall construction as migrants flood into US

ARIVACA, Ariz. — An Arizona rancher has seen huge numbers of migrants crossing his ranch and he's blaming it not only on the ongoing border crisis, but also the Biden administration's refusal to complete Trump-era wall construction.

Jim Chilton and his wife Sue own a large ranch that includes land along the US side of the US-Mexico border. During his presidency, former President Donald Trump built more than 450 miles of border wall, including new construction and replacing existing fencing and other barriers.

Some construction work took place at Chilton Ranch with plans to continue construction. However, when President Biden took office in 2021, construction work was abruptly halted. Contracts were canceled, and parts of Chilton Ranch land remain vacant or with the easily passable Normandy Barrier in place. Some construction work has taken place under the Biden administration, but it has been largely limited to repairs and patching small gaps.

Former Border Patrol chief slams Biden administration for concealing information about immigrants with suspected terrorism ties

Chilton is furious.

“I'm personally outraged that President Biden has stopped the wall. The wall works,” Jim Chilton, who spoke at the Republican National Convention in July, told Fox News Digital from his ranch.

“They're 32 feet tall with five feet of solid metal on top, very difficult to get over. Each of these (bollards) has cement inside, and it's very difficult to cut through them,” he said.

The border wall stretched along much of Chilton Ranch, but not all of it. (Adam Shaw/Fox News Digital)

“Biden blocked Trump's wall. In my opinion, I hope that if Trump gets elected he will complete the wall and secure the border,” he said.

The crisis at the southern border erupted after the administration took office, and border apprehensions hit a record high. Though arrests have been down this year, Chilton said he has tracked more than 3,560 suspected illegal immigrants with cameras at his ranch. He has caught many on camera.

Top House committee harshly criticizes Biden-Harris administration over border crisis in new report: 'assault on rule of law'

He said he's worried not about migrants turning themselves in to the Border Patrol or humanitarian groups based near gaps in the wall, but about people camouflaged to get in and avoid detection. Backpacks appear to be left behind on the Mexican side of the wall for the next group to pass through.

This photo shows migrants caught on camera at a ranch in Arivaca. (Jim and Sue Chilton)

“People are heading north in camouflage and carpet shoes. These are the serious guys,” Chilton said. “They want to stay undetected in the United States. Border Patrol rarely catches them. Many of them are carrying drugs and other contraband. Some are MS-13 gang members trying to get into the United States. They don't want to get arrested.”

For more coverage on the border security crisis, click here

The dangers for the migrants are serious: In Arizona's scorching heat, they can quickly become dehydrated, disoriented, or fall and injure themselves, and the vastness of the environment makes it unlikely that anyone will find them. Chilton, who opposes illegal immigration but doesn't want people to die on his ranch, has installed multiple taps at his cattle's water sources so that migrants can get clean water and avoid dehydration when they reach them.

Trump has pledged to launch a campaign of mass deportations and complete construction of the wall if re-elected, while the Biden administration has argued that a wall will be ineffective and is instead pursuing a strategy of expanding legal routes into the country while imposing “penalties” on illegal entry.

Jim Chilton wants the border wall completed. (Adam Shaw/Fox News Digital)

After hitting a record high in 2023, numbers have fallen sharply this year, dropping by more than 50% since June, when President Biden signed an executive order restricting travel to the United States.

Chilton said he isn't overly concerned about his own safety, knowing that most of the migrants going deeper into the ranch are trying to avoid detection, but he carries a gun and, while patrolling part of the ranch with Fox News Digital, he drew his gun when approaching certain areas.

Click here to get the FOX News app

Chilton, who has owned the ranch since the early 1990s, accused Biden and Vice President Harris of “going to great lengths to make our country very welcoming and very attractive for people to come to the United States.”

He pointed to reports that in some parts of the country, migrants are able to get free travel, bank cards, health care and housing.

“Why don't we create jobs for people like veterans and bring in more people who need jobs? Why are we providing housing for illegal immigrants when our own people can't stay in hotels for free? I ask why?”