Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls (R) recently appeared on Fox and Friends First to discuss the impact President Donald Trump's border policies already have on crossings and other activities, saying there have been "dramatic drops" in the numbers.
Mayor Nicholls said the immediate drop in crossings "just speaks volumes of what it takes for the federal government and the President just to give a clear direction on what the border situation should be, and that way, it is followed up with action."
However, he also emphasized "that message has to hit home early in the process in order for it to have strong actions."
Host Carley Shimkus asked Mayor Nicholls what his constituents in Yuma are saying about the drop in border crossings and if there is a tangible difference, which he affirmed.
"We are seeing with the increased resources that Border Patrol has and the reduced traffic across the border, more proactive policing, more proactive engagement by the Border Patrol, which means there is more fentanyl being engaged, less trafficking can happen along the border in the United States. Those are some really positive things that we are seeing just being here in the community, just watching what is happening," Nicholls answered.
Shimkus then asked how he believed the Mexican drug cartels are reacting to Trump's policies and crackdowns, to which Nicholls suggested they are "trying to figure out how to work the new system, how to figure out how they can continue to operate their multi-billion dollar business of moving people, of trafficking people."
"I do not expect them to go away," Nicholls added. "This is not just a done deal. They are going to be continually pushing and looking for new angles because you do not just walk away from a multi-billion dollar business."
As a result, while he expects the cartels to adapt, Nicholls said they will undoubtedly face "much more resistance" than they did under the Biden Administration, if not more than ever.