By Daniel Gonzales | Arizona Republic
Gov. Doug Ducey is criticizing the Biden administration for failing to consult with local officials in Arizona before announcing that some migrants forced to wait in Mexico for immigration hearings under the Trump administration will be allowed to enter the U.S.
“The hasty announcement repealing the Migrant Protection Protocols and the lack of details provided to stakeholders in a border state during the development of this action is troubling,” Ducey, a Republican, said in a letter addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Ducey wrote that “numerous mayors, sheriffs and non-governmental organizations across Arizona” had contacted his office with “serious concerns and questions” about the policy change, which has resulted in “confusion and misinformation throughout Arizona communities.”
“Ducey’s stated concerns must be balanced with the risks and costs, both in a fiscal and humanitarian sense, with the former Administration’s Remain in Mexico policy (MPP program) for asylum seekers. As this article points out, asylum seekers will have to register, be tested for COVID-19, and have to present at an immigration court to pursue their case, which should mitigate public health and safety concerns.’
“Asylum seekers with criminal records are vetted and could be refused at the border or port of entry, or denied asylum, and any individual or family paroled into the country either goes into ICE custody or is released to a family member who signs an affidavit of support vowing to provide food, shelter, and resources to the immigrant while pending their court proceedings.”
Darius Amiri, Rose Law Group Immigration Chair
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