Lawmaker: Most illegal immigrants tied to drug, human smuggling

Most individuals illegally crossing the Arizona-Mexico border are tied to drug or human smuggling, Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said on Thursday.

“It used to be that those tied to human smuggling or drug smuggling were the exception to the rule,” Flake said. “Now it is the rule.”

But Jennifer Allen, executive director of the Border Action Network, a Tucson, Ariz.-based community organization that works with illegal immigrants, said Flake's statement was inaccurate.

"Those who come across the border still continue to be men, women and children who are looking to reunite with family members already here or looking for economic security and trying to have some stability in their lives," Allen said. "Some of them are just looking for jobs."

Allen said there is an element of cross-border criminal activity that needs to be addressed, but that makes up just 5 percent of illegals crossing the border.

"Fanning the flames of fear and insecurity across the country by inflating the realities here simply won’t result in good policy, just in good campaign speeches," Allen said.

Flake had just returned from a tour of Arizona border areas in Douglas, Nogales and Yuma along with Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain and Republican Reps. David Schweikert, Paul Gosar and Ben Quayle. The tour included a meeting with the widow and brother of Robert Krentz, a rancher slain last year near the border.

Flake is vying for the Republican nomination to seek the seat being vacated by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), who is retiring in 2012.