Pro-immigration forces took to the streets in Phoenix on Saturday, shutting down traffic near where the Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump was scheduled to address supporters and ending in the arrest of at least three people.

With just two days remaining before polling places in Arizona are slated to open for the GOP primary on Tuesday, the debate over immigration is becoming an even hotter topic among voters in the border electorate filled state.

Early Saturday, protesters streamed along the Fountain Hills area, halting cars and blocking the town's only main road as Trump prepared to address followers at a rally in Maricopa County.

Trump Vows to Deport as Many as 11 Million

Throughout his campaign, the bombastic New York City real estate magnate has made immigration a red-hot issue, vowing to deport all 11 million immigrants now estimated to be in the U.S. if he is elected.

For much of the day, groups of largely peaceful protesters held signs reading "Dump Trump" and "Trump is Hate."

Maricopa County Sheriff Deputy Joaquin Enriquez vowed demonstrators would be taken into custody if they did not comply with orders to move along. The three people arrested were reported to have tied themselves to their cars to delay getting towed.

"We are here to send a message loud and clear to Donald Trump that he is not welcomed in Arizona and we will not allow his racism and bigotry to go unchecked," said Francisca Porchas, one of the protest organizers. "It's a slap in the face to the Latino community for him to be here joined by Sheriff Joe Arpaio who has actively terrorized the Latino community and is the biggest symbol of anti-immigrant racism across the country."

Roughly 30 percent of the population in Arizona is Hispanic, but the state still boasts some of the harshest anti-immigration policies in the country.

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