Pima County is handling more than 1,400 migrants in its shelters daily, but has so far avoided releasing asylum seekers onto Tucson streets, the Board of Supervisors was told Tuesday.
Casa Alitas, the main provider of short-term shelter for migrants in the region, had 1,474 asylum seekers in its care on Tuesday, according to the county. Some of the migrants may be moved to shelters in Maricopa County, however.
The number is an increase from the 1,300 people Casa Alitas reported in its shelters on Friday night, and doesnโt include those housed in hotel rooms the city of Tucson is providing.
The daily counts of those seeking shelter in Pima County have more than tripled from the average 420 asylum seekers the county received each day the first week of May, according to county reports. The influx has come with the end of Title 42, the pandemic-era measure that allowed the federal government to expel some migrants from the country immediately that expired on May 11.
The federal government used an expedited procedure to process individuals in about 15 minutes by avoiding issuing migrants a notice to appear in court when Title 42 was first rescinded. The policy resulted in higher volumes of asylum seekers with less time to find transportation and shelter.
A court injunction issued by a federal judge in Florida on Thursday stopped Border Patrol from conducting the expedited releases for those who donโt pose a risk to public safety. That means migrants stay in federal custody longer before being released to local shelters, but Border Patrol said in a statement the ruling will lead to โunsafe overcrowdingโ at its facilities.
โI think itโs fair to say that everything was looking good until May 11 hit, and then by the 12th, we not only had the expedited processes, but we had, I think, an increase of individuals who had been unable to cross since 2020 who may be looking forward to come across at this point. I think everyone was a little bit underwater,โ Country Administrator Jan Lesher told supervisors Tuesday.
Lesher said the county received about 1,600 migrants on Friday, and the latest May 13 report from the countyโs Office of Emergency Management said the local shelter system โstill has not recovered from โฆ mass release under the 15min expedited process.โ The daily releases placed Casa Alitaโs main shelter โin overcapacity because they cannot process out faster than what is coming in,โ according to the report.
The county administrator said there was a situation โin the very near pastโ where buses from the Department of Emergency Management in Phoenix drove to the southern border, picked up migrants and dropped them off in Tucson. The county has since coordinated with Phoenix, Maricopa County and the state to ensure those picked up in Douglas, Naco and Nogales are taken to Phoenix for shelter, Lesher said.
โWe hope to transition into a mode in which we are only getting those individuals that the Tucson Sector of the Border Patrol drops in our community,โ she said.
The countyโs received nearly $29.5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agencyโs Emergency Food and Shelter Program to provide aid to asylum seekers, and while staff previously estimated current funding would last through June, the county now estimates it will be able to provide aid through September.
Supervisor Steve Christy reiterated his opposition to the county engaging in federal border management operations and said, โOnce we started taking the money from the federal government, it became our problem.โ
Supervisor Adelita Grijalva agreed โThis is a federal issue,โ but said, โWhen people are going to be street released into our Pima County community, it is our responsibility.โ
Supervisor Sharon Bronson said sheโs heard concerns from her District 3 constituents about a lack of communication among federal agencies. Lesher said the many moving components of the Department of Homeland Security โdo not necessarily communicate well,โ but the county is appealing to its federal delegation to address oversight issues with the department.
Representatives from Arizonaโs U.S. congressional delegation, the state legislature, Arizona border counties and Tucson are meeting daily to receive briefings on the situation at the border.
Photos: An influx of asylum seekers coming through Tucson
Influx of Migrants
Updated
A family receives help from Pablo Hernandez, from AMI, with their travel plans at a Tucson hotel being used to shelter migrants on Tuesday, May 16.
Influx of Migrants
Updated
A migrant mother waits in one of the guest rooms at a Tucson hotel with her child to make travel arrangements to another state on May 16.
Influx of Migrants
Updated
Adriana Martizen, left, helps an asylum seeker with her travel plans at a Tucson hotel being used to shelter migrants on Tuesday, May 16.
Influx of Migrants
Updated
Migrants hang out in the lobby at a Tucson hotel on May 16, 2023.
Influx of Migrants
Updated
Migrants hang out in the lobby at a Tucson hotel on May 16, 2023.
Influx of Migrants
Updated
Anthony Ibarguen, right, from AMI, helps an asylum seeker with his travel plans at a Tucson hotel being used to shelter migrants on Tuesday, May 16. Thereโs been an influx of asylum seekers since the end of Title 42 on May 11.
Get your morning recap of today's local news and read the full stories here: http://tucne.ws/morning
