The Yuma trip, which also included a tour and roundtable discussion, came less than a day after Ducey announced plans to dispatch up to 250 Arizona National Guard troops to the border, a $25 million effort. He also declared a state of emergency in six Arizona counties.
By Maria Poletta Arizona Republic
UPDATE April 23: Democratic officials in border counties are saying that the troops are unnecessary and that Ducey never asked for their input on the matter.
Gov. Doug Ducey during a visit to Yuma on Wednesday renewed his call for federal intervention at the U.S.-Mexico border, urging President Joe Biden to “declare a national emergency and deploy the vast powers of your administration to stop what is happening here.”
Flanked by state lawmakers and local public safety officials, the Republican leader said Arizona was “willing to step up and do our part” in response to a recent surge in migrant arrivals and apprehensions. But he argued federal backup would be necessary to “stop the disaster that’s unfolding here.”
“We were just briefed by Border Patrol and local law enforcement officers on the crisis here,” Ducey said during an afternoon news conference held in front of the border wall. “Agents are overwhelmed. Citizens here in Yuma are concerned for their safety, and nonprofits, left to pick up the pieces of broken federal policies, are strained.
“Yet, we still have not received any signs of action from the federal government,” he continued. “No President Biden. No Vice President (Kamala) Harris. No Secretary (of Homeland Security Alejandro) Mayorkas. Not a single member of the administration has paid us a visit here in Yuma, or in any of Arizona’s other border cities.”
The Yuma trip, which also included a tour and roundtable discussion, came less than a day after Ducey announced plans to dispatch up to 250 Arizona National Guard troops to the border, a $25 million effort. He also declared a state of emergency in six Arizona counties.
