Arizona Sens. John McCain (R) and Jon Kyl (R) both urged new Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff to visit the Tohono O'odham Nation but the Bush administration official decided to skip the reservation anyway.

Chertoff is headed to other communities in his first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border today. He wants O'odham Chairwoman Vivian Juan-Saunders to come along but she says he needs to see the problems the tribe has experienced as a result of increased border-crossings and drug smuggling.

More than 1,500 immigrants use the remote 2.7-million-acre reservation to cross into the U.S. every day. Tribal authorities seize about 300 pounds of illicit drugs daily.

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Deadliest area bypassed (The Tucson Citizen 5/5)
Homeland chief in Southern Arizona (The Arizona Daily Star 5/5)

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