As the Mayor of a border community, a Federal Emergency Declaration needs to be considered immediately to address the challenges that come with the end of Title 42 provisions. The sheer number of migrants can easily overwhelm the capacities of the Border Health Center operations of providing temporary shelter and basic medical services. We fear those released or entering our city will not have the transportation options necessary to get to major cities with broader shelter capabilities – like Yuma or Tucson.
San Luis is a small community of 36,000 people. But with over 25,000 daily crossers and the anticipated jump in migrants seeking asylum, our community is facing the challenges of a community more than twice our size. We cannot leave our community without services; our dedicated men and women in our Police Department and Fire Department face tremendous strain. Most importantly, we cannot leave our residents without their services in emergency situations.
We hope the Federal Government is considering the needs of San Luis and all border communities are being taken into consideration as decisions are being made on how funding and military support are being allocated.