♪ Music Playing ♪ >> Coming up next on "Arizona Horizon", the effective immigration sweeps on farming in Arizona and around the country.

Also tonight, an investigative report in to allegations of sexualized hazing on a local high school wrestling team.

And a new device promises to detect serious diseases with just a drop of blood.

Those stories and more next on "Arizona Horizon."

>> "Arizona Horizon" is made possibility by the contributions of friends of Arizona PBS.

Members of your public television station.

>> Good evening and welcome to "Arizona Horizon."

I'm Ted same your Honor.

An estimated 40% of agricultural in the U.S. are undocumented.

As such, work site immigration raids in Arizona and the U.S. are making for instability in farming operations and fear in farm-working communities.

Here to tell us more is Edward Vargas, he's from ASU's school of transborder studies.

Good to to see you again, thank you for coming?

>> Thanks for having me.

>> Let's take a 40 foot few on the impact on farms and eventually what we get at the grocery store.

>> Yeah, so fundamentally whenever there is uncertainty, a lot of things happen.

We know that people's fear of going to work, scared of taking their children to the cool.

Not knowing what will happen next week, ultimately has an impact on labor and labor productivity in all industries.

If we look specifically at agricultural you can think of the trucking, sort of world of moving product.

There is the cow, dairy industry world of farming.

There is, of course, the green leaves, the rock fruits.

And so fishing.

All kind of wrapped into one.

But what we do know is that around 40,000 -- about 45,000 farms, we are losing about 45,000 farms a year.

Last year I got to do a stint at the U.S.D.A.

and got to look underneath the hood in terms of what's going on in the agricultural industry.

And what we are beginning to see is just really just a loss of farms and farmlands.

>> The loss of farms, how much is immigration playing a part in that?

>> That's part of it.

Immigration clearly.

But also just sort of market forces in terms of small farms that maybe didn't want to get a little bit bigger because of the fear of labor shortages.

And so sort of just the change of the movement of large industry farming.

>> I mentioned 40%, honest mate some where around 40% of agricultural workers in the U.S. are undocumented.

Does that ring true to you, sound about right?

>> That's what estimates say.

Some recent work actually done by the U.S.D.A.

and migration policy I want Tuesday estimate around that number.

Again, that is -- when we talk about documented or undocumented, it's a little unclear on -- in those numbers, meaning in if you are an H2 A worker, for example, do you count that as an undocumented worker or documented worker.

It gets blurry.

>> Ice agents.

Are they targeting farms?

Are they targeting farm workers >> Ted, what we know is at that agricultural and labor is an open secret that people are undocumented in working on these farms, we did see some raids happening around Camarillo, California, in strawberry fields where you had agents chasing laborers through true Barry fields that did happen.

But in general, I think there is a lot of push back and concern so people have been kind of staying away.

It's an open secret we are hiring the workers.

>> >> But as far as the raids themselves.

Are crops not being picked, fields dry.

"A."

"B" if that's happening will it affect us and when?

>> Yes, it is happening.

What we are seeing is farmers having to diversify how they are picking fruit.

This push to automation is really what they are looking into.

How do we diversify if we don't have people to pick.

Now, again, I say there were different types of fruits and vegetables.

So when we look at NEWS such as pears, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries that are very -- -- you need hands to pick these things.

We are seeing people are thinking about secondary markets for those products, in other words, they are rotting in the feel.

How can we repurpose them into other products.

We are seeing that happening.

Farm efforts are thinking about the next harvest, how much they will plant the next couple of years.

>> Compare Arizona to other areas.

Is ice targeting certain regions?

Is Arizona included?

>> Well, that's a really great point.

Arizona is really different than other places, specifically places that have the largest number of undocumented workers, such as California, Oregon, Texas, Florida, once again, they produce a lot of sort of fruits that require hand picking where in Arizona, we have had a longer established relationship with folks over on the other side in San Luis to be able to bring in workers.

But, again, they do -- they are experiencing labor shortages.

And that has been true for the last couple of decades.

>> Okay, so the raids are happening.

And it's kind of hard to figure out exactly when, where, why, and how.

But they are happening.

President trump, though, said that he was not going to target certain industries, including agricultural, meat packing these kind of things has well.

Is that not happening?

>> It's happened across the country.

There is accounts in Wisconsin in dairy farms.

We know that one of the first executive orders was on an English-only law.

Why this matters is because in the construction driving, rigs, you know, there are a large majority of people who are non-English speakers, so it's sort of trickling down into other parts of the agricultural economy we don't really think about.

>> I want to get back to what you mentioned as far as people being upset and worried and fearful and not doing things, not picking kids up from school.

Also, are we see any evidence that they are not reporting crimes?

That was always a big deal that crime would go underground because people would be too afraid to either report or testify.

>> We call this in the literature the chilling effect.

In other words, people not engaging with hospitals, reporting crime.

And a recent poll done by a group of researchers, me being one of these folks you can find this at this Brookings institution where I published this, we find Latinos not, for example, wanting to get the new medications.

Not going to see the doctor.

Fearful that their children could be left alone if they got picked up.

So there are concerns.

I think what we have to notice, just how diverse these families are.

So you have individuals in this household who are U.S. sit sents did you may have an undocumented parent.

Even permanent residents can be Pecked up and deported and that's happening.

>> Okay.

Last question then, where is all of this headed?

>> This is headed very negatively.

What we know is that people not coming to the U.S., and we -- this is very rim miss he wants of 2008 in terms of people self-deport and anti immigrant movement happening in that period and what happens right after 2008, we had a crash.

There is a lot of indicators and they say, for example, the purchasing of spaghetti is a large indicator of what's to come.

We see that the purchasing of spaghetti has just skyrocketed.

>> A spaghetti index, who knew.

>> Who knew.

>> We should mention, Two thousand eight, real estate was a big part of that.

>> Real estate was -- Arizona, knows this better than anybody.

We do see in the construction industry we have seen more raids in construction.

>> Interesting.

Interesting.

All right, keep an eye on it, Dr. Edvard Vargas ASU school of transborder studies always a pleasure, good to see.

>> You thanks for having me.

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♪ Music Playing ♪ >> The Arizona republic's ongoing investigation of an alleged sexual hazing scandal involving the liberty high school wrestling team in Peoria has led to questions regarding how the school, the district, and Peoria police have handled the allegations.

Joining us now is Hannah Dreyfus, she's the republic's investigative reporter covering the story and also with us is Brody Cobb a liberty high garage Walt, he wrestled at the school for 3 1/2 years, good to have you both here thank you for joining us.

Hannah well start with you, liberty high school is this a newer school or mare established areas?

>> More established school to the best of my knowledge.

>> Okay.

What happened on with this wrestling team, give us a synopsis.

>> Sure.

What we are looking at is a pattern of behavior that the go worse over the course of several years.

As is frequently the case with behavior that goes unaddressed.

Our story begins more or less around fall of 2023 when students start to come forward.

To parents about sexualized hazing incidents that were taking place on the team.

Parent browse our attention to the head coach who said he would deal with the situation.

When it continued to go unaddressed parents escalated and brought the issue directly to police.

Police then closed the case, initially after just six days.

Dismissing it as just horse playing saying there was nothing else that needed to be dealt with.

Since then the police investigation has been opened two more times.

And students, including Brody, have come forward with detailed allegations.

>> Three times Peoria police have opened the thing, three times in 18 months.

>> Correct.

>> Because it's horseplay and because it's not that serious, according to what your reporting filed.

>> According to my reporting, and the police investigation, a police record.

>> Yes.

>> When it was closed the first time, police watched video evidence of several hazing incidents that are described in detail.

And watched those and determined that because some of the boys in the videos were laughing, that therefore it shouldn't be taken seriously.

>> I got you.

Brody, as best as you can, talk about the housing.

>> How often did it happen?

Where did it happen?

Was it -- how it was addressed.

Give us as best as you can an indication of what was going on.

>> So my experience it was worse my sophomore and junior year.

So 2022-2023, 2023-2024.

Happened every single day.

And it would happen in the wrestling room where coaches would be in the corner and watch it happen.

What would happen is the main perpetrators the main guys would have a list of people that they wanted to get for that specific day.

And they would hold that person down and sexually haze them.

>> Okay, there is a list of people.

That would suggest that not everyone went through this hazing, or did everyone go through this kind of hazing?

>> Everyone went through this hazing because it happened daily.

>> Okay.

But even the leaders and even the ones that were person rating this, they wound up being victims as well?

>> Yes.

>> And the coach is doing what?

>> Sitting in the corner on his computer, on his telephone.

>> Does -- from what you could see, in your opinion, did he know it was going on?

>> 100 percent.

>> Okay.

>> Because he addressed it and told people to knock it off sometimes.

>> Did he ever egg them on?

>> No, never.

>> When you say told them to knock it, is that the extent of trying to stop it?

>> Yes.

>> Were you targeted?

>> Yes.

>> Were you targeted any more than any of the other wrestlers?

>> No.

I would say that I probably got it the least because I was able to avoid it as much as possible.

>> But it did eventually happen to me.

>> And real quickly, in your story, I think you mentioned it, someone mentioned it, there was peer on peer violence every day in addition to this other stuff going on.

>> Yes.

>> What kind of -- just punching people and beating them like a fight club going on?

How would you get on this story Hannah, how do you start with this.

>> Yeah, sure.

So I actually inherited the story from a colleague of mine who had started report on the ground this more than a year ago.

He since moved to a different publication, but I came on to the story actually just a few weeks -- or perhaps at this point months ago.

And I realized that there was a lot more to do here in terms of bringing this to light.

I knew that there were students who had allegations That they needed to share.

And should be shared publically And I knew that I needed to hold school officials and police accountable for their handling of the situation.

So that was an immediate focus for me when I took on the story.

>> We heard horseplay P.also in your story, a student was texted it was a right of passage.

>> That was a text from the coach.

When a student confronted him about the escalating incidents, the coach texted back, that this was a right of passage.

>> And I guess he told the school, boys will be boys.

>> According to the police report and the school's internal investigation that appears to be what the coach said when he was confronted with these incidents.

>> And Brody, I want to get back to you about how difficult this was for you to come forward.

But I have to ask, the school's response, the district's response.

We talked about the police response.

What does -- how does is the school explaining all of this in.

>> Sure.

I Al still holding their feet to the fire in terms of an explanation for jot not just what happened in the wrestling room with the players, the coach, but why when this was brought to the attention of the school principal, the athletic director for the school and the district athletic director, why was the situation misrepresented to parents in terms of what was rue there being investigated, why was the coach put on leave and parents told it was for recruitment violations when thereof so much more at hand I am trying get to the bottom of that.

>> He's still the head coach of the wrestling team?

>> He was the head coach until the day the story published.

>> Oh, okay.

What is he doing now?

>> At this point he's on paid administrative leave.

>> Okay.

>> While they reopen investigation into these incidents.

>> All right.

Brody, how difficult was it for you to come forward?

>> Very, very difficult.

I quit in December of 2024, halfway through my season once I finally got away from it I finally confided to my parents about what was actually happen.

It was so difficult because it was so normalizes in that environment I didn't think it was that bad but when I got away from it I was like wow, this was messed up.

>> There were peer pressure I would imagine to Just go along.

Was there peer pressure not to say anything?

It was just who cares if you say anything?

Boys are being boys?

>> Peers and sometimes coaches would even say, like go through your phone and delete evidence of certain things.

They didn't want it to be outside of the circle.

>> And I would imagine on your part there was fear of retaliation right?

Yeah.

I have to ask you, if everyone on the team was taking part, were you taking part in this stuff some.

>> Yes.

Unfortunately I am very embarrassed about it and have -- I regret it very much so.

But I thought in that environment if I took part in it I would be protected.

>> That's where the peer pressure comes in to play.

What's next in the story?

>> What's next?

>> Yes.

>> I think what's next is first of all taking a minute to appreciate the bravery of folks like Brody to come forward and not just to speak about their own experiences, which generally involves a lot of shame for survivors of sexual assault to come and speaker for ward.

But also to really step up and take responsibility for any part they might have taken in this.

That shows a tremendous amount of strength.

In terms of what's next?

Reporting this story.

>>> I am making sure that the school is aware of their legal responsibility to open up a title 9 investigation into sexual assault.

That took place on their campus There will be more report on the ground that.

I am in touch with the Arizona board of education to see their response to this.

And if we have to go up to the federal level to make sure this is properly addressed, I absolutely will take the story there.

>> Hannah, great job on the story and Brody, again, it does take courage to do this.

Congratulations on that.

You have come forward and probably helped a lot of kids down the line.

So thank you.

And Hannah, thank you, thanks for sharing the story.

Thank you both for being here, we appreciate it.

>> Thanks, Ted.

♪ Music Playing ♪ ♪ Music Playing ♪ ♪ Music Playing ♪ ♪ Music Playing ♪ ♪ Music Playing ♪ ♪ Music Playing ♪ >> ASU researchers have developed what is being described as a breakthrough diagnostic tool that could transform how reliable and quickly illnesses like COVID-19, Ebola, aids, and lyme disease are detected.

The device is known as NAS-RED and to learn more we welcome Chao Wang from ASU's biodesign center.

I guess for molecular we sign and bio-mimetics, it's a design center doing great work over there, including this.

They are calling this a breakthrough in diagnosing diseases, talk to us about this.

>> Thank you for having me.

Now, so this date through dates back to a couple of years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At that time we were short of masks and we were short of tests.

So at that time I told my students it's time for us to shine.

We try to really work out a technology that eventually can save people's lives.

But we were kind of late.

Eventually a couple of months ago we were able to finish the work and the work has been featured in a journal and this is a device that would have been -- that we have been working on.

It's a portable device as you can see and it can achieve detection of very small of sample as you can see from here.

>> I mean, those vials are tiny >> These are tiny.

>> Goodness gracious.

>> These are very tiny samples what you can see at the bottom of the tube the volume is less than a drop of blood.

When you finish the test you put it here and you get an electronic signal.

The whole test time can be finish the within about 15 no 30 minutes.

It's comparable to the gold stop card tests we use in the lab such as lab corp. >> So this is basically a blood test that has been streamlined to the point where 15 to 30 minutes later you can get it from a drop of blood.

How does it work?

I know reading about this you got like Nano plated particles that are -- what -- gold plated Nano particles.

What's going on?

>> Yes.

That's a very good question.

That can be seen from here.

>> Yes.

>> That's a tube of Nano particles as you can see.

The reddish.

>> Yes.

>> Guess home are there?

>> I got no clue.

>> More than 10 billion Nano particles in here.

They are so tiny.

Each of them is only less than 100 Nano meters, which is 1,000 times smaller than a human hair.

>> So you put the blood in there and, what, the Nano things they attract the -- like if there is a COVID or aids or lyme disease particle in there, they'll attract each other?

>> Exactly.

So what happens then we have one tube of the sample with we call them censor tube.

Then we have another tube of human sample.

Like saliva or urine or blood or serum.

Even cerebrospinal fluid, you name it.

>> Yes.

>> You mix them, you finish the proceed and you put them here, you can finish your detection.

What happens is the Nano particles they carry small molecule on the surface, small but much bigger than proteins.

So each of the Nano particles carry hundreds of these molecules, trying to grab the target proteins.

>> If they grab one you got a hit.

>> You've got a hit and it's part of your signal.

>> Yeah.

This has to be -- this is going to be big stuff for rural areas.

For smaller areas, where it's kilt to get your blood tested.

I would imagine in emerging countries, lower income countries and stuff like that.

Is that where the target is here?

>> Exactly.

That's my motivation.

We want to make this accessible, not only sensitive, but also accessible.

That means it needs to be portable, it needs to be rapid.

And needs low cost.

So we can achieve all of these.

So that can be used as you mentioned in PCP office, in emergency rooms, even in the ambulance.

>> Right.

Right.

Low cost.

You mentioned that.

Is it -- do you have to -- how much training is needed to run these kinds of things?

>> So what we want to achieve eventually is you have a work station, you turn the key on.

Set up the protocol and it can be automatic.

>> We are not there yet but working there.

>> Quickly because we have to get going here.

But how long before you get there?

How long before this is out there?

>> Probably three years.

>> Three years still, huh?

It's really exciting.

That's amazing to have a blood test that would be as accurate or more so than a full blown lab test in just that.

That's good stuff.

>> Thank you.

But that's research.

That's what we are trying to do Research takes time.

But I hope eventually research can make an impact on humans' lives.

>> Gray work Chao Wang and I am sure we'll be hearing more about this in the coming years, congratulations and thanks for sharing your story, we appreciate it.

>> Thank you, Ted, for having me.

>> And that is it for now, I am Ted Simons.

Thank you so much for joining us.

You have a great evening.

♪ Music Playing ♪