PHOENIX — Yuma Mayor Douglas Nichols wrote a letter to President Joe Biden on Thursday urging him to declare a national emergency as Title 42 ends.
Nichols is calling on Biden to enact a Title 50 state of emergency to “protect vulnerable American communities.”
Nichols has been Yuma’s agent for nine years, and the current immigration surge is unprecedented in both number and duration.
He declared a local emergency on December 15, 2021, and the state emergency enacted under former Gov. Doug Ducey is still in effect.
“The state of emergency is devastating for our country and a number of immediate actions are being launched to address the real need for Yuma personnel and resources. Full FEMA and National Guard response will be possible,” Nichols said. said in a letter.
“It includes dispatching FEMA officials to set up transportation facilities for released migrants and immigration to community nonprofits using the more robust transportation and nonprofit options permitted by Title 32. We will need assistance from the National Guard to support the full Border Patrol mission of transporting
Nichols said Yuma and its residents were victims of cartels that led to the exploitation, abuse, rape and neglect of immigrants.
He promised Biden that he would not release immigrants to areas with fewer than 1 million people.
Nichols’ tentative plan was to bring immigration judges into the community and hear cases remotely via video conferencing.
