Arizona Governor Doug Ducey demanded Tuesday that the administration of President Joe Biden take more action to protect the border between the United States and Mexico, while local authorities in Yuma reported an increase in crossings of asylum seekers in the southwest of the state. .
As Ducey and local authorities spoke at a lectern at the border near Yuma, regarding a dozen people crossed into U.S. territory through a gap in the border fence behind them, according to a video posted on Twitter by a reporter from the U.S. KPNX television. In a live broadcast of the press conference, several people wearing face masks can be seen walking and watching from a short distance behind the governor, Yuma mayor, local police chief and others, and under surveillance by staff. of security.
“We need the strength of the federal government to protect the border,” Ducey told reporters. “That’s your job. We ask the Biden administration to do so.”
Ducey criticized the Biden administration for re-implementing former President Donald Trump’s policy that requires asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while they await their US immigration court hearings. Last week, the federal government reluctantly announced plans to reinstate the policy implemented during the Trump presidency and agreed to Mexico’s conditions to resume its application.
The policy went back into effect Monday in El Paso, Texas. Ducey said the phased implementation caused migrants to quickly make their way to other parts of the border and cross into the United States before the policy kicks in broadly once more.
More than 1,500 migrants crossed the border illegally Monday, outflanking Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents, the Yuma Sun newspaper reported. Several people gathered on the US side and waited to be detained to make their asylum claims. Most of the migrants come from Cuba, Brazil and Venezuela, according to the newspaper.
Ducey said the Arizona National Guard will send a helicopter, six vehicles, four ATVs and 24 people to help authorities.
The Republican governor has been a regular critic of Biden’s border policies. The Republican Party sees the increase in border crossings as an important issue to attack Biden and other Democrats in the 2022 congressional elections.
“The way things are right now, this crisis will not be resolved as long as Joe Biden is our president,” Ducey said.
The reinstatement of the “Remain in Mexico” policy comes as the Biden administration tries to end the measure in a way that will survive legal scrutiny. Biden withdrew the policy on his first day in office, but a lawsuit brought by Texas and Missouri forced him to reintroduce it, provided Mexico agreed.
Unauthorized border crossings dropped significantly following Mexico, faced with Trump’s threat to raise tariffs, acquiesced to the policy’s rapid expansion. Asylum seekers were subjected to serious acts of violence while waiting in Mexico and faced a series of legal obstacles, including access to lawyers and information on their cases.
Last week, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki described the policy as “deeply flawed” but noted that the administration is working to implement it under the court order.
