With Biden making his way to Arizona, border officials plea for impactful change
Sep 26, 2023, 10:00 AM | Updated: 3:25 pm
As President Joe Biden prepares to make his second trip during his presidency to Arizona in late September 2023, border officials are emphasizing the need for real, impactful change. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
PHOENIX — As Joe Biden prepares to make his third trip during his presidency to Arizona, border officials are emphasizing the need for real, impactful change.
In southeastern Arizona’s Cochise County, Sheriff Mark Dannels said he’d want to give the president a tour of where migrants are being dropped, known as drop-off points, and left waiting for a bus to continue their trip.
“Just see that and tell me how inhumane that is. These people have no idea they’re in Cochise County, they don’t know what Cochise County is, and they have no water, they have no food, they have nothing to survive on,” Dannels told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Tuesday.
“They have no basic essentials except for the hope a bus will come get them in eight hours.”
By Yuma, Mayor Doug Nicholls told KTAR News 92.3 FMs the Gaydos and Chad Show on Monday that he would tell the president enough is enough.
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“We’ve been dealing with this and the lack of federal engagement that’s been effective for over two years, we need to have this resolved. You need to come to the table and put real factors … on the table, and stop the flow,” Nicholls said.
“Cause right now all they’re doing is trying to facilitate the flow, make it quicker, not stop it. So I think that’s what’s (Hobbs’) got to talk about, is that exactly.”
What’s immigration activity like at the southern Arizona border?
Recently, Customs and Border Patrol agents were pulled out of the ports of entry, leading to 3- to 4-hour wait times at the San Luis port over the weekend, Nicholls said.
He added that after Title 42 went away in August, the numbers decreased from 1,000-1,200 people per day to about 200-300 people per day coming through the Yuma ports of entry.
“That’s where we remain right now. But what’s happening is Tucson, in Nogales area and Douglas area, then surged and they’re at the 1,000-1,500 people per day, it varies a little bit in those areas,” Nicholls said.
“What that’s done is overwhelm those resources and now they’re surging people to Yuma … to be processed and then go through our nonprofit system.”
The Cochise County Sheriff said by pulling resources off the border, they’re trying to allow for processing.
Dannels also believes a hefty amount of funding is going toward expediting migrants instead of securing the border.
