PHOENIX — There are signs that the number of illegal immigrants entering Arizona may be declining.

Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls told KTAR’s Gaydos and Chad Show on Wednesday, “We’re seeing a decline in numbers that we haven’t seen in a while.” “I don’t know exactly as far as we’re talking, but the numbers have been down in the last three weeks.”

Republicans in the state legislature say Arizona is at the center of a public health and safety crisis along the border.

State officials view it as a major highway for illegal fentanyl to flow from Mexico into cities across the United States.

In 2021, the Border Strike Force seized 985 pounds of fentanyl. This is up from £284 seized in 2020.

“They were able to stop most of what they could actually do. It moved to Texas. That’s why Texas is in great danger. Now Texas locks it down and they move west I’m back,” Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borelli said.

Borelli joined other Republicans at the Capitol Rose Garden on Thursday in calling for more money to be spent to strengthen state police border patrols and fund local law enforcement and drug treatment services. I got

“Governor Hobbs said she agrees that this is a crisis, but her actions to provide border-related funding to law enforcement are not.

It is unacceptable,” said Montenegro MP Steve, chairman of the House Health and Human Services Committee.

Governor Katie Hobbs’ budget directs more than $12 million from Border Patrol to local border communities and law enforcement.

When she announced the plan, the governor said it was the beginning of negotiations with Republican leaders in the House and Senate.

Hobbs says her door is open for negotiations, but Republicans have not accepted the offer.

“The devil is in the details,” said Pinal County Senator TJ Shope.