Disclaimer: This article may contain the personal views and opinions of the author.
Arizona did border czar Kamala Harris’ job for her. Governor Doug Ducey announced that Arizona would be filling in the gaps of the border wall with Mexico.
The construction in Yuma is the first of many gaps that will be filled by the state, as the federal government is slow to move and will not acknowledge the invasion happening at our southern border.
The next gap Arizona is looking to fill is near the Morelos Dam outside Yuma.
Yuma mayor Doug Nichols said, “It is definitely helpful. It’s interim, but there’s 700 or 800 people coming through the border every day. It won’t stop them all, we have over 50 gaps in the wall.”
He said that using shipping containers is the interim plan to fill in the gaps, while they wait for the Biden administration to complete the wall as it promised.
Nichols said, “In the last two weeks we got funding for filling the gaps, but it needs federal approval.”
“Because of the time between now and then, it could take them 16 weeks or so to fill it,” Nicholls said of the Biden administration’s slow response.
“Arizona has had enough,” said Governor Ducey.
“We can’t wait any longer. The Biden administration’s lack of urgency on border security is a dereliction of duty. For the last two years, Arizona has made every attempt to work with Washington to address the crisis on our border. Time and time again we’ve stepped in to clean up their mess. Arizonans can’t wait any longer for the federal government to deliver on their delayed promises.”
He went on to explain the overwhelming nature of the invasion.
“Our border communities are being used as the entryway to the United States, overwhelming law enforcement, hospitals, nonprofits and residents,” Governor Ducey said.
“It’s our responsibility to protect our citizens and law enforcement from this unprecedented crisis. With the resources and manpower in the right places, our Border Patrol and law enforcement will be better equipped to do their jobs well and prevent cartels from exploiting our communities. That’s exactly what our barrier mission will do.”
Yuma County Supervisor, Jonathan Lines mentioned that this is a national security issue.
“National security starts with border security. Biden’s border crisis deteriorates daily while the White House is silent.”
“Border communities like Yuma bear the burden of a broken border while narcotics poison our youth, human smuggling rises and mass amounts of migrants wear on our nonprofits. Beyond that, the seizure of counterfeit products at our ports of entry affects American businesses. Governor Ducey has been a consummate partner, coordinating and leading state and local resources to do what the federal government won’t: secure the border.”
Nicholls said that the Yuma community doesn’t have the infrastructure to handle the number of people crossing the border.
The Yuma sector saw 235,230 migrant encounters from October 2021 to June 2022, which seems to be accelerating each month.
