YUMA, Ariz. — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey traveled to Yuma Tuesday where Border Patrol has seen a large increase in the number of migrants crossing the border in southwestern Arizona.
Ducey met with the Arizona National Guard, Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement as he toured the area. The state's governor then held a news conference to address the issues where officials said an estimated 5,000 migrants attempted to come through the area on Sunday.
"Mr. President, do something, do anything," Ducey said as he slammed the Biden administration calling the border crisis "a Federal issue."
A controversial immigration policy was reinstated Monday which forces asylum-seeking migrants to wait for their immigration court hearing outside of the U.S.
In 2019, former President Donald Trump launched Migrant Protection Protocol program, also known as the Remain in Mexico policy.
The Biden administration shut down the MPP program earlier this year until the Supreme Court upheld a ruling by a Texas judge ordering the Department of Homeland Security to reinstate the controversial policy.
Ducey said while this program is helping control borders in Texas, it's pushing migrants toward Arizona.
Ducey's plan
The governor said he will be repositioning Arizona's public safety resources to manage the ongoing crisis.
Ducey said the National Guard will be sending the following resources to support the Department of Public Safety:
- 24 personnel
- Six vehicles
- Four ATVs
- One light utility helicopter
The Department of Public Safety and the National Guard are also deploying tactical resources to the areas where U.S. Border Patrol and intelligence indicate the most threatening incursions are occurring.
"My thanks to the men and women of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the members of the Arizona National Guard, the team at the Arizona Department of Homeland Security, members of the Border Patrol, and the entire law enforcement community for your commitment to protecting Arizonans," Ducey said.
Numbers growing at the border
During his press conference, 12 News cameras captured almost a dozen migrants crossing the Arizona border near Yuma.
Officials said more than 1.7 million migrants were encountered at the southern border last fiscal year, which is more than the past two years combined. In October, there were more than 164,000 encounters at the southern border, a 128% increase from October 2020.
In a Nov. 29 Facebook post, the U.S. Border Patrol Yuma Sector said agents took in more than 3,000 migrants who illegally entered the country. Officials said the migrants were from the following countries: Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Lebanon, Mexico, Nepal, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela.
Watch the full press conference here:
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.