As Trump takes office, local police to play bigger role along border

( NewsNation ) — All eyes are on the border after the election amid fears that the cartel could be pushing migrants in before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated in January.

Arizona passed a law giving power to local law enforcement to act as immigration officials, giving them the ability to arrest migrants crossing the border illegally. Plus, Trump said he would be relying on local law enforcement to carry out the migrant deportations along the border.

What's involved in Donald Trump's border security plan?

Increase in smuggling operations

Still, the Tucson Sector in Cochise County has seen an increase in smuggling pursuits, up to 10 human smuggling pursuits a day.

NewsNation crews followed along with the Cochise County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday as officers were administering a search warrant at a so-called "stash house." There, officers discovered nine undocumented migrants, two of who were juveniles, hiding out in the detached garage, which was just small enough to fit a single vehicle.

The shelter was described as smelling "putrid" and "almost intolerable" with discarded clothing and food scattered around.

Migrants-turned-smugglers facing felony charges: Authorities

What's happening at the southern border?

At the southern border, undocumented immigrants are jumping the border wall in Naco, Arizona . NewNation crews have witnessed this happen several times, documenting migrants crossing and disappearing on their way to these so-called "stash locations."

Most of the time, it's reported that these migrants are transported north to hubs in Tucson or Phoenix. This is how the cartel, a $13 billion industry, makes its money.

And it's about to get exponentially harder for them to make a profit now that Trump has promised immediate border solutions, including migrant deportation.

"They're going to push hard right now. The cartels, they know they have to. They have a president coming in who's made it very clear, and based on his track record, he will secure this border," Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said. "He'll declare it an emergency."

'Cartels aren't stupid'

Dannels, a Republican, explained that the cartels "aren't stupid" and will push their business across the border as much as they can before Trump is appointed into office.

Trump's strong showing along Texas' border counties marks a shift among Latino voters, with 55% supporting him — nearly double his 2020 numbers. He won 14 out of 18 counties within 20 miles of the border, challenging Democrats' traditional hold.

Although Arizona's new law allows officers to act as border agents, Dannels is concerned with the rollout of the law because there was no additional funding or resources allocated with the legislation, especially since Trump said he would lean heavily on local law enforcement to carry out the mass deportations.

Dannels said that is also a concern as they haven't received any guidance on how any of this will be rolled out and what their actual role will be.