Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls recently issued an emergency proclamation to address the unprecedented number of migrants who have entered the city. Nicholls claims that the influx is causing a humanitarian crisis and overtaking federal authorities.
The mayor said that federal personnel is having trouble managing the flow of migrants into the area and at the official facilities. It was reported that more than 6,000 migrants have attempted to cross the Yuma region.
The emergency proclamation allows the city to be eligible for federal and state funding to aid, relief and help to alleviate the crisis. Mayor Nicholls spoke out about the effects on the community.
Yuma is seeing a lot of migrants traveling through it during times of uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 virus. They are also without adequate food, water, and shelter. The ability to provide medical care for the most critical and urgent needs of patients has been and will continue to be challenged by this influx of migrants.
The Yuma region saw a dramatic increase in migrants crossing. The October 2021 arrests were more than 2,600% higher than the October previous year.
Recent migrant cross-border crossings are having devastating effects on the Border Patrol stations nearby and the soft-sided processing center in Yuma. They have exceeded the COVID-19 recommended detention capacity by more than 800%.
