An Arizona border county declared an emergency Wednesday as illegal immigrants needing medical aid strain the local health care system and an anticipated surge is expected to only make the situation worse.
Yuma County Board of Supervisors Chairman Tony Reyes cited the “stress” on local healthcare workers and made the declaration in anticipation of the expected end of Title 42, the public health rule used to expel certain illegal immigrants, while the area faces a surge in COVID-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and flu cases, according to a statement from his office. Title 42 likely ending on Dec. 21 will make an already record surge of illegal immigration at the southern border even worse, former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott recently told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“The projected increase of asylum seekers and migrants has and will continue to strain the ability of medical staff and local hospital resources to provide essential and necessary medical care to Yuma residents as well as the migrant community,” the declaration stated.
Authorities in the Yuma border sector have apprehended more than 300,000 illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2022, according to the emergency declaration. During that time period, federal authorities apprehended more than 2.3 million migrants along the entire southern border with Mexico.
The end of Title 42 is expected to increase numbers 40% or more, according to the declaration.
“The increased numbers of asylum seekers and migrants will place a severe strain on federal and state resources, nonprofit organizations and others providing humanitarian and healthcare services,” the declaration stated.
* Article from: The Daily Caller
