The Arizona sheriff, who is at the forefront of the country’s immigration crisis, on Thursday criticized the Biden administration, saying it failed to prepare for the end of Title 42.
“It’s a cluster,” Sheriff Leon Wilmot told in an exclusive interview.
He said border police arrested about 1,200 people on Wednesday and are on course to do so again on Thursday.
This was part of an expected surge in migrant arrivals as the US eases strict health restrictions that have allowed millions of arrivals to be immediately deported without even having applied for asylum.
On Thursday, Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls urged President Joe Biden to declare a national emergency on the southern border.
“It’s a cluster,” Yuma Sheriff Leon Wilmot said of the end of Title 42 in an exclusive interview with Thursday. He and his county are on the front lines of the border crisis
And Wilmot said the lack of preparation meant President Joe Biden was unable to enforce existing border laws, saying overworked agencies in nearby Cochise County were already letting people out onto the streets without proper processing or court dates.
He felt particular anger for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and claimed that the US had stepped up its response.
“Any good leader faced with a situation like this would have stood up for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), obtained emergency funding for ICE, and set up shelters in their makeshift buildings to house all of this to ensure proper processing.” could,” he said.
“He didn’t do any of that.” So he has no plan.
“His plan, obviously on purpose, is to just let anyone into this country and try to track down so many millions of people years later.”
“It is a false narrative that this administration is conveying to the American people.”
On Thursday morning, the extent of the rise in Yuma was already clearly visible before the sun rose. More than 300 people waited in line To with border guards as buses full of migrants pulled in and out.
Many came from Peru. However, the arrivals also included people from China, Georgia, Uzbekistan and the African state of Mauritania.
Hours before Title 42 was lifted, hundreds of migrants lined up on US soil in Yuma to begin the asylum process. The numbers have skyrocketed in the past few days
A stream of new arrivals, pictured after reaching US soil. They set out to join the queue of migrants waiting to be cleared in Yuma on Thursday morning
Wilmot said this posed a security risk not only for his community but also for communities across the country that had applied to be sanctuary cities.
Around 4,000 people are currently being held in Yuma, far more than the capacities of the local authorities.
Wilmot has been Yuma’s sheriff since 2013, putting him on the front lines of the crisis.
The county has long been known as a popular border crossing, and cartels direct people here to the border for a fee.
The sheriff was patrolling along the border late Wednesday night and suffered a flat tire on his Ford Raptor.
Wilmot spoke to at a tire shop. As he crossed the border on Wednesday evening, his truck suffered a flat tire. He was preparing to get back out Thursday night
caught up with him as he had a new tire fitted the next day and prepared for the end of Title 42.
“It’s because of this government,” Wilmot said. “The President must enforce the rule of law.” Period.
“It’s just absolutely galling to see a lack of leadership at the highest levels of government.”
The sheriffs, he added, would get involved as much as possible.
“We’re doing our job.” I’ve already told my boys that if they trespass on anyone’s property, they’ll be arrested.
“Anyone violating state laws will be prosecuted 100 percent.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday that the end of Title 42 meant migrants would now be treated under Title 8
Previously, Mayorkas had insisted that newcomers would not be given more lenient treatment with the end of Title 42. All this meant was that migrants would now be processed under Title 8 and a new rule that meant most people could only enter if they booked an appointment via an app. he added.
“Here’s what that means,” he said. “Anyone who arrives at our southern border after midnight tonight will be deemed ineligible for asylum and face harsher consequences if entering illegally, including a minimum five-year re-entry ban and possible criminal prosecution.”
“Don’t listen to people who offer you a way to the promised land,” he added.
“You know, the smugglers only care about profits, not about people,” he said.