Ducey Deploys Arizona National Guard To Border, State To Provide $25 Million In Initial Funding

Ducey Deploys Arizona National Guard To Border, State To Provide $25 Million In Initial Funding

by | Apr 20, 2021 | News

On Tuesday, in response to the crisis on the U.S. Mexico border, Governor Doug Ducey announced he is deploying the Arizona National Guard to the border and issued a Declaration of Emergency as part of the state’s effort to support local law enforcement efforts.

Up to 250 Guardsmen will be sent to border communities and will be available to support other law enforcement agencies, like state troopers. The Arizona National Guard will:

  • Assist with medical operations in detention centers;
  • Install and maintaining border cameras;
  • Monitor and collect data from public safety cameras; and
  • Analyze satellite imagery for current trends in smuggling corridors.

The State will provide up to $25 million in initial funding for the mission.

U.S. Customs & Border Protection in March had more than 170,000 apprehensions at the Southwest border. Nearly 19,000 of those apprehensions were unaccompanied children — more than four times the number of kids apprehended in March 2020.

“The federal government’s actions have made the border less secure. This threatens the safety of our communities and law enforcement,” said Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels. “Border towns and officers need support as the crisis at the border escalates. I’m grateful to Governor Ducey for taking action and sending the National Guard to help. We welcome immigrants with open arms — but it needs to be done legally and orderly to ensure we are protecting our communities, state, and nation.”

Ducey’s decision was also welcomed by Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone, a Democrat, who said “the issues at the border affect the whole state, to include Maricopa County.”

“The availability of Arizona National Guard resources in support of law enforcement demands is an asset for our depleted resources. I appreciate Governor Ducey’s commitment to law enforcement organizations,” concluded Penzone.

“The crisis at the border is serious and cannot be taken lightly,” said Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot. “The Arizona National Guard will provide much-needed support to our officers and safety officials, and will help ensure Yuma and other border communities are further protected from dangerous and illegal activity. By deploying National Guard assets, the Governor will allow me to deploy more first responders to mission critical tasks where we will work side by side with our federal partners to target, apprehend and prosecute transnational criminal organizations. My thanks to the Governor for taking action to protect Arizonans, law enforcement and legal immigration.”

Dunn Calls For Biden To Take Responsibility For Decision To Release Immigrants Into Communities

Dunn Calls For Biden To Take Responsibility For Decision To Release Immigrants Into Communities

by | Feb 27, 2021 | News

YUMA – On Friday, Rep. Tim Dunn called out the Biden administration for their policy of releasing detained immigrants into southern Arizona communities, which include Yuma.

According to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in January, more than 5,700 unaccompanied minors crossed the border, up from 4,850 in December and 4,500 in November.

On Thursday, a CBP staffer reportedly told top Biden administration officials to expect a peak of 13,000 unaccompanied minors to cross the border in May — the highest level ever, according to the New York Post.

Then Biden admitted on Friday that thousands of unaccompanied children were coming and are expected to come across the border as part of migration surge.

Those migrants are being released into many of the communities Dunn represents. In fact, the Yuma Sector of the U.S. Board Patrol has apprehended over 8,600 illegal immigrants this fiscal year, up from 4,400 the previous year.

Dunn says the Biden policy has led to “burdensome challenges of adhering to COVID-19 guidelines at facilities, as well as to house a growing number of individuals here illegally.”

Latest reports show over 240 releases in the past few weeks.

“President Biden’s irresponsible policy to release immigration detainees freely into the community is already having predictable negative results,” said Dunn in a press release. “This is particularly the case in Yuma and other southern border counties who are left to manage the consequences. With Yuma County having one of the highest rates of COVID-19 in the state, our hospitals and city services are overwhelmed and could put care for Arizonans in jeopardy.”

“The Biden Administration needs to take responsibility for the consequences of its damaging policies,” continued Dunn. “I call on U.S. Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema in Washington to work on our behalf to ensure the federal government is testing the immigrants it releases and provides us the appropriate financial resources to cover other costs being incurred.”