The city of Douglas is adding its voice to growing criticism of the federal government’s response to Title 42’s expiration Thursday evening.
In a statement released Wednesday, May 10, the mayor’s office said it believes the end of the COVID-era policy, which has strictly limited asylum seekers at the border since 2020, warrants a federal emergency declaration:
Border Patrol has already started performing street releases in Douglas, with 261 migrants released since Monday 5/8. Fortunately, our local, county, state and federal partners had the foresight to try and reduce the local impact and are working to have these migrants immediately transferred to Tucson where the requisite infrastructure exists to facilitate their travel to their final destinations. This is not sustainable long-term and capacity will be exceeded at the community level without federal intervention. It is imperative that a federal emergency declaration be explored to provide immediate relief and necessary resources, personnel and infrastructure that is assumed, but does not exist here.
The city of Bisbee similarly reported earlier this week that it was working with the Pima County Emergency Management and the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs to coordinate transportation as part of its process.
RELATED: City of Bisbee begins releasing asylum seekers ahead of Title 42 end
As part of the governor’s Title 42 preparedness plan, Gov. Hobbswho has also been vocal in expressing concern over the federal planhas said she may choose to deploy members of the National Guard to assist.
The Biden administration is sending 1,500 active-duty U.S. troops to the border to provide administrative support. The White House also says it’s working on new measures to crack down on illegal entry and that new policy is to turn away any asylum seekers who have not first applied online or sought protection in a pass-through country, in the case of many Central American migrants.
“The onus to fill this need is unfairly placed upon the community of Douglas, who will rise to the challenge as we have always done, until we receive the overdue attention and support,” the city of Douglas statement concluded.
Members of the Arizona Sheriff’s Association are also weighing in:
“Arizona is not prepared for the thousands of people lined up south of Yuma who want to enter Arizona, either through asylum or crossing the border illegally, said Yuma Sheriff Leon Wilmot. We need more federal and state resources to handle what is a long-term problem. We have asked both the governor and our federal representatives for more help. We hope they hear our calls.