San Luis, Arizona — This afternoon, Mayor Nieves Riedel signed a proclamation and a Declaration of Emergency on the Humanitarian and Health Crisis currently taking place along the United States - Mexico Border.
Due to the mass migrant gatherings at the US-Mexico Border and with Title 42 of the Federal Public Health Service Act suspension to end on December 21, 2022, a forty percent increase in migration is projected. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported a high community risk of contracting COVID-19 in Yuma County. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and influenza also circulate in the community, causing increased risks to public health.
The resulting conditions are beyond the capacity and control of the personnel, equipment, and facilities of the San Luis Police Department and the San Luis Fire Department. Furthermore, the number of migrants has already strained humanitarian services provided locally by non-profits, health services, and other governmental agencies.
"The safety and health of my community remain my main priority," stated Mayor Nieves Riedel. "With limited resources, our residents need to be cared for first," she concluded.
To View the proclamation in its entirety, Click here.