Yuma, Arizona Mayor Doug Nicholls declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, saying the city cannot handle the surge of immigrants the federal government is releasing from detention centers.
Nicholls said the migrants represent an “imminent threat” and that “it’s above our capacity as a community to sustain.”
As the border crisis escalates, Yuma is the first town to declare emergency over the influx of border crossers.
Yuma’s Republican mayor is hoping other border cities follow suit so the federal government will be more likely to provide additional aid.
By securing extra funding, Nicholls hopes to “avert the threat of hundreds of people roaming streets looking to satisfy their basic human needs.”
In addition, the mayor says the migrants “threaten to cause injury, damage and suffering to persons and property located in the City of Yuma, Yuma County, Arizona as well as causing a humanitarian crisis.”
This announcement comes a month after President Trump declared a national emergency over the crisis at the southern border.
The Homeland Security Advisory Council also announced emergency actions Tuesday, saying, “thousands of migrants children and national security of our nation are in danger.”
|
|
