County, City, Ask for Federal Assistance as Thousands of Migrants, Asylum Seekers Begin to Move into Arizona

On Friday, the Biden administration announced they would begin processing asylum seekers into the United States who formerly wore forced to wait in Mexico, along the Mexican border in homeless and refugee camps, through the Trump administration’s former Remain in Mexico asylum and immigration policies.
 
The Biden administration announced that 25,000 asylum seekers would now receive temporary immigration status to the United States, as they flee threats of violence and persecution from their home countries. All asylum seekers will be tested for COVID-19, and many cities along the border, like Tucson, are scrambling to provide proper resources to migrants who may be arriving soon.
 
In 2019, Tucson received 20,000 asylum seekers, most of whom were not supported by government efforts, but instead by the efforts of local churches and monasteries, like the Benedictine Monastery, who opened their doors to the incoming asylum seekers.
 
Now, officials from the Pima County Board of Supervisors, the City Council, the Governor’s office, and Customs and border Patrol are trying to find ways they can process, support, accommodate, and integrate the sudden influx of asylum seekers. Consequently, many, including Governor Doug Ducey have called on the Biden administration and the Department of Homeland Security to provide further financial and logistical support to accommodate the expected wave of migrants.