COCHISE COUNTY, Ariz. (KGUN) — Owning a ranch on the border presents unique challenges, especially when migrant activity is high. John Ladd, a cattle rancher in Cochise County, has seen the impact of its ebbs and flows.
Ladd and his family have owned their ranch for 129 years. He says since the start of President Donald Trump's second term in office, the number of illegal border crossers has dropped.
"I have not seen a body since Trump got elected," Ladd said. "That's why I say that this is better than Trump's first term.”
He says from the 1990s to Trump's first term, half a million illegal border crossers were caught on his ranch. It's why he hoped a second Trump term would once again lead to less illegal border crossers.
"The solution was Donald Trump had (a) stay in Mexico policy for asylum seekers and that really helped,” Ladd said.
However, the damage to the ranching industry is already done, Ladd explained, because fewer ranchers are operating along the southern border.
"There's a lot of pioneer families, that their kids couldn't put up with the border, so there's a lot of ranches that have sold because of the border issue," Ladd said. "Kids don't want to continue ranching because they don't want to live on the border. That's sad. That shouldn't happen in America.”
Ladd said there are higher costs when owning a ranch near the border, because there are more repairs to fencing and waterlines. This also plays a role in people leaving.
"Ranching on the border, it costs more because of the damage, and so when Donald Trump stops the damage, it kind of evens out,” Ladd says.
The Ladds have shared 10.5 miles of the border for 129 years, so they've learned how to adapt with the changes. One thing he says won't change — his family owning the ranch.
“It's our legacy," Ladd said. "My kids, they're all adults, but they're not going to sell out. We're going to keep raising beef cows.”
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
