Yuma County Chairman Tony Reyes has declared an emergency in the unincorporated areas of Yuma County to address the continuing health and humanitarian crisis at the US/Mexico border.

With the County facing a “triple threat” of COVID-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus and the flu, and the increasing number of asylum seekers and migrants entering Yuma County from Mexico, local healthcare resources are being stressed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last April that the immigration rule was no longer necessary because vaccines had lessened the threat of COVID-19.

However officials in southern Arizona fear that with the elimination of Title 42 will cause a surge in border crossings, but an even larger stress on the county’s resources.

More than 300,000 apprehensions have been made by Yuma Sector agents in fiscal year 2022. The number of asylum seekers is expected to increase sharply with the expiration of Title 42 on Wednesday, December 21. The emergency declaration will allow for additional flexibility and resources to address the evolving issue.