YUMA, Ariz. — The Mayor of Yuma declared a "local emergency" Thursday afternoon due to the number of migrants crossing the border and passing through the city, according to a release.
This local emergency was declared due to migrants entering into Yuma "prior to being processed and released by Border Patrol" and "address the humanitarian crisis affecting the Yuma community and to protect the health, safety and welfare of residents," according to a statement released by city officials.
Reports indicate that within the last five days, there have been over 6,000 migrants crossing across the U.S.-Mexico border in the Yuma area, city officials said.
This declaration allows the city of Yuma to become eligible to receive state and federal funding for aid, relief, and assistance to mitigate the situation, according to a statement.
According to a statement, migrants are passing through Yuma on foot, through farming fields, which can destroy crops and lead to "significant economic loss and property damage in the farming community."
On Wednesday, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey sat down exclusively with ABC15 to discuss the latest at the U.S. border.
