Local leaders react to Biden’s executive order on border

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Locals are reacting to President Biden's migration order.

The City of Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls and Yuma County District 4 Supervisor Tony Reyes both say this executive order should have come earlier.

Supervisor Tony Reyes stated, "There are ways to do it right, this is an abuse of the system that the president is trying to stop, although it's a little late in my viewpoint, it's still better than nothing."

Mayor Doug Nicholls said, "Every president, doesn't matter which party, Republican or Democrat, for the last 20-30 years, has issued policies or executive orders to control the border except for this president until right now."

They shared how this executive order could affect immigration in Yuma County.

Mayor Nicholls said, "We've had a surge of migrants being brought from other sectors to be processed here. Hopefully, that will take those numbers down, and hopefully give us some stability, but we'll have to wait to see."

Supervisor Reyes added, "I think the president got into a situation now where has to deal with this as a national crisis. Whether we have a crisis in Yuma County is debatable but the fact is that there's too many people applying so it's straining on resources,".

Supervisor Tony Reyes said that although Yuma isn't currently at the center of the border crisis, it has been in the past.

"Right now, San Diego, Tuscon, and El Paso, those places are really actually much busier," said Reyes.

Mayor Doug Nicholls was invited to the White House for the press conference but could not make it.

He said he would have preferred to be a part of the conversation.

"On a press conference, decisions are made. I would've preferred to be in the room when these policies were coming together to have input on how effective they could be and if there are any other things we could also do," Mayor Nicholls shared.

Both Mayor Doug Nicholls and Supervisor Tony Reyes expect the order to be challenged in court.

Mayor Nicholls said hopefully the challenges don't stick.