The City of Bisbee released a statement Monday outlining what it is currently doing to prepare for the expiration of Title 42 on Thursday, which is expected to cause a mass influx of immigrants seeking to enter the country across the southern border.

“The Mayor [Ken Budge] and City Staff met with Cochise County Emergency Management staff and the leadership of the [Customs and Border Patrol] CBP Brian Terry Station today,” the city shared. “We were briefed on the resources that are expected to be available to handle immigrants moving forward from local, state and federal agencies. The emphasis is on moving these now-legal immigrants from the border to their final locations or sheltering them in places that can handle a large flow of immigrants.”

Additionally, the city’s update revealed that starting Monday, immigrants seeking legal asylum at some federal stations, like the Douglas Port of Entry and Brian Terry Station, were being transported to other locations to make room for the impending influx. According to the release, over 100 migrants were taken from these stations and bussed to Tucson.

The Department of Homeland Security states that it is shifting migrants around to “less-congested border sectors” to ensure others do not get completely overrun.

Lastly, Bisbee said Cochise County has begun coordinating with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and faith-based organizations, requesting they prepare to help with an influx of migrants. The city also said it expects to receive supplies and backup from the governor’s office as necessary, potentially including aid from the National Guard.

In response, the Arizona Freedom Caucus warned, “Democrats’ open border is already killing people & it’s about to get worse!”

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D) announced Monday she is preparing for the problems lifting Title 42 may present. She revealed a five-point plan which involves assisting local sheriffs, keeping communications with NGOs and tribal communities for updates and needs, providing migrants with transportation services to get them away from border communities, providing additional emergency shelters, and providing state resources as needed. Additionally, Hobbs said she had attempted to communicate with the federal government so Arizona does not have to face this burden it is not responsible for in the first place but has been met with radio silence.

“This is a national issue, and the federal government leadership has failed to make good on this national issue,” said Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls. “This task is going to be too great; greater than anything we’ve seen in the past.”

However, not everyone is optimistic about Hobbs’s plan. Arizona grassroots activist Merissa Hamilton said the plan lacks specifics and does not like the idea of providing immigrants with free transportation. She said other governors, like Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R), have given more robust responses to the crisis.

Additionally, as reported by KVOA, Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I) has been trying to provide extra resources to non-profit organizations near the border to ensure they are ready for the coming wave. Sinema has also said that DHS is not prepared for the increase in immigration.

“Arizona communities and non-profits are being left to manage a crisis they did not create,” Sinema said.

Title 42 is a public health policy used during the Trump administration to send people seeking asylum back across the border into Mexico. The policy has been used to expel over 2 million migrants from the U.S., but the Biden administration has made multiple attempts to repeal it since taking office. The policy is expiring because the COVID-19 public health crisis is also ending. Experts expect southern border encounters to increase by 10,000 per day following the expiration.

In Yuma, an increase can already be seen, as KTAR reported that daily encounters have already increased from an average of 300 to 600.

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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Illegal Immigrants” by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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