Gallego Seeks Use of National Guard Facility in Douglas as Emergency Migrant Shelter
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) sent letters to Adjutant General of the Arizona Nation Guard, Maj. Gen. Kerry Muehlenbeck, and Chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Daniel R. Hokanson, inquiring about the possibility of using National Guard facilities in Douglas, Arizona to house migrants.
“As you might know, Douglas is part of the Tucson Sector of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations, which is currently the busiest sector along the southwest border. As of last week, the Tucson sector was at 190% capacity as sustained high levels of arrivals have persisted in recent months,” Gallego wrote. “Should this situation persist, there will be an increased risk of street releases of migrants from CBP custody and a ballooning population of unsheltered migrants in Douglas that would undermine public safety.”
He also posed the following questions:
- What overall actions is the Arizona National Guard taking to ease this surge of migrants?
- What additional steps, if legally viable, can the Arizona National Guard take to provide support during this surge?
- If legally viable, what would be the cost to deploy the Arizona National Guard to this facility in Douglas and who would bear it?
- What new federal authorities, guidance, or additional resources are needed to provide further support?
Full texts of the letters can be found HERE and HERE.
Rep. Gallego has consistently stood up for Arizona’s border communities to ensure the federal government does all it can to get our local and state leaders the assistance and resources required to handle an increase in arrivals at the border.
Earlier today, Rep. Gallego called on the Biden Administration to issue an emergency declaration at the Southwest Border to more efficiently get Arizona’s border communities the resources they need.
After close coordination with Arizona’s non-profits, border community leaders, and law enforcement officials, Rep. Gallego rolled out his plan to institute sweeping reforms to address the problems plaguing FEMA’s failed Shelter and Services Program (SSP) that has shortchanged Arizona’s border communities on the front line of the border crisis.