Tucson was recently ranked as the busiest city on the Mexican border for migrant encounters, leading to an unusual event in Pima County: a hiring fair for shelter jobs.
The Pima County Health Department plans to hold a job fair later this week to fill capacity at Tucson's crowded migrant shelter.
The temporary and permanent jobs will be filled under the county's Border Health Program.
Border agents in the Tucson area encountered 64,638 migrants in November, according to the latest data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This exceeds the record number of 55,226 migrant encounters in this sector reported at the start of the federal fiscal year in October.
CBP said 191,113 migrants were encountered across the Southwest border in November, compared with 188,780 the previous month, according to the agency's data.
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Immigration services in Pima County have been under strain for months due to an unprecedented flood of migrants to the Tucson border area, especially since September, local officials said.
Pima County announced it spends about $4 million a month in federal funds for transportation, shelter, medical care and other services for migrants released by the Border Patrol as legal asylum seekers. That's double the spending rate for the first half of this year, the county said.
Most asylum seekers released into Tucson shelters stay only one or two nights before moving on. But in recent months, the steady influx of migrants has led the county to warn in advance that asylum seekers could be released onto the streets without protection.
The job fair will be held at the Abrams Public Health Center, 3950 S. Country Club Road, on Friday, Jan. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to a Pima County news release.
“These temporary and permanent positions will fall under the Emergency Mitigation and Preparedness Division and will play a critical role in border operations,” the department said in a statement.
According to the county, the new hire will be responsible for “handling tasks such as intake, assisting with shelter operations, and administering health screening questionnaires.”
The county says it wants to fill 19 temporary full-time positions.
The temporary position is scheduled to “end in June 2024,” but the health department said it could be extended based on “operational needs and available funds.”
Anyone interested in the position is “encouraged” to apply online before Friday's job fair. The deadline for online applications is Thursday, January 4th at 11:59 p.m.
Department job information Includes a description of the position's duties, responsibilities, and minimum qualifications. If you are interested, please see the application link in the news release.
