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PHOENIX - Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano toured the Arizona-Mexico border Tuesday as Sen. John McCain defended his proposed immigration overhaul in suburban Arizona in the latest sign that this border state will play a prominent role in the national immigration reform debate.

Napolitano was slated to tour the border near Nogales with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner David Aguilar, Democratic Congressman Ron Barber of Arizona and U.S. Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware.

At the same time, McCain is hosting town hall meetings in Green Valley and Sun Lakes, during which he is expected to sell his immigration plan focused on border security.

Democratic Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona is also playing a role in the debate. She was scheduled to attend a meeting on immigration reform in Phoenix Tuesday.