‘There are more important things going on,” – President Biden won’t visit border during trip to Arizona
Local lawmakers say his administration's border policies are unclear
YUMA, Ariz. (KECY, KYMA) - With no Border Patrol agents in sight, hundreds of migrants gathered at Yuma's border wall the morning of President Biden's visit to Arizona.
They made fires to keep warm in the cold temperatures as they waited to be apprehended and seek asylum in the United States.
“I left Ecuador due to violence. My hope is for a good future and a better life here,” Daniel Muela said.
According to yearly reports by Customs and Border Protection, in the Yuma Sector, since President Biden was inaugurated, local agents have apprehended more migrants than during the entire Obama and Trump administrations combined.
Before his flight to Arizona, Biden explained why he wasn’t visiting the border.
"There are more important things going on," Biden said.
As Biden will stay in Phoenix touring a chip manufacturing plant, local lawmakers in Yuma say they’ve been left in the dark by his administration when it comes to issues at the border.
As activity at the wall is costing the county money, and stretching law enforcement resources thin.
Yuma County Supervisors are also concerned about the situation worsening when Title 42 ends.
"We anticipate an additional 500-600 roughly that could be released locally," Jonathan Lines said.
"The administration is not preparing a better way to process people," Chairman Tony Reyes said.
Yuma’s mayor Doug Nicholls echoed the supervisor’s concerns, saying he’s not sure what will happen after the end of Title 42.
“I haven’t heard of any plan,” Nicholls said,
