Southern Arizona mayors and county officials testified before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday, April 26 about the impact border migrants have on border communities in Arizona.
The hearing will take place a few weeks before Title 42 expires on May 11th. This gives the U.S. Border Patrol the power to keep asylum seekers out since his 2020.
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the number of immigrant encounters has increased by 27%. Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, a ranking member of the subcommittee, said the CBP has seen more than 5 million immigrants and more than 35,000 pounds of fentanyl at the southern border since January 2021. said.
Senator Kirsten Cinema, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Border Control, said the numbers were unsustainable and would rise further by the end of Title 42.
The Department of Homeland Security expects an increase of 11,000 to 13,000 immigrants per day, Lankford said.
Francisco Garcia, deputy county administrator and chief medical officer of Pima County, said the average number of assisted asylum seekers in the county can leave the county between 24 and 36 hours. I’m here.
“This December, county and community support was highlighted to a breaking point of 15,000 releases for the month. Federal agencies expect that number to double after May 11,” said Garcia. said Mr. “If that happens, we will be overwhelmed and hundreds of people will have to fend for themselves on the streets of Pima County.”
“In southern Arizona, law enforcement is witnessing a troubling new trend: Cartels are using social media platforms to recruit and exploit American teens,” Cinema said. says. “There are young people as young as 14.”
Cartels promise easy money in return for driving migrants and contraband across borders. Reports indicate that teenagers are on high-speed chases with law enforcement.
“Sierra Vista is in the path of these low-vehicle drivers who need to travel through our communities to continue north,” said Sierra Vista City Mayor Clare McCar II.
Earlier this year, cinema introduced anti-cartel social media laws in hopes of combating illegal recruitment activities by establishing a national strategy with the help of government agencies and the private sector.
Mr Lankford, a co-sponsor of the bill, said that in the first six months of this fiscal year, CBP seized almost as much fentanyl as it seized throughout the 2022 fiscal year, and has since lost more than £350,000. of methamphetamine seized. 2021 years.
“That’s the main killer in my state,” Lankford said. “Now every state is a border zone with the movement of illegal drugs.”
Yuma Mayor Douglas Nichols said the city was affected by the immigration crisis that is affecting international economic investment.
“President Biden can declare a state of emergency and send the message that no more human trafficking will take place. FEMA must protect immigrants and leverage their capabilities and resources,” Nichols said. rice field.
