An empty hotel is temporarily hosting migrants seeking asylum in the United States
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – Migrant families seeking asylum are temporarily staying at a Scottsdale hotel, and it’s all part of a partnership the federal government entered into with a Texas-based nonprofit in March.
As the southwest border saw an influx of people arriving and trying to cross the border, the immigration facilities that handled migrants quickly became saturated.
To reduce the influx of migrants seeking asylum, the US Immigration and Customs Service, in collaboration with Endeavor, set up Emergency Family Reception Sites (EFRS) along the US Southwest Rand.
These locations essentially provide temporary housing and processing services for families who are continuing their immigration process.
Under a $ 86.9 million contract, 1,239 hotel beds will be provided to migrant families for typically less than three days.
“Without the additional EFRS facilities and services, the government will be seriously injured as it is currently unwilling to cope with the large influx of asylum seekers that require housing and processing of applications for vulnerable populations,” it said Order on March 16
The history:
Empty Scottsdale hotel temporarily hosting asylum seekers
Scottsdale is home to the newest hotel offering accommodation, transportation and medical care to families seeking asylum in the United States.
The property had been vacant for several months as it went bankrupt and was about to obtain planning permission to convert to an apartment building, the Arizona Republic reported.
According to ICE, this new location in Scottsdale is not intended for additional beds. It’s still for the original 1,239 hotel beds count.
The federal treaty specifically provides that hotels in El Paso and Cotulla, TX, and Chandler, AZ, will be established at the beginning of the agreement and in “other areas as needed.”
An ICE spokesman said as long as there is a need for more hotel beds, up to 1,239 will be set up in each area.
Concerns from some Scottsdale residents compelled them City to make a statement on Tuesday, said in part, “Scottsdale currently has no authority to prevent the hotel from being rented to these immigrant families.”
The city also said it was notified of a hotel contract in their community on Friday May 28. That is one day before the hotel temporarily accommodates the migrant families.
“Immigration is a federal issue for which the city has no responsibility or oversight,” the statement said.
Police activity in Phoenix hotels that hosted migrants remained normal
The arrival of migrants in hotels in communities across the valley also raised questions and concerns among some residents about police and crime problems. But statistics don’t reflect any change.
12 News investigated service requests in the area of the two Phoenix hotels that have been accommodating families who have continued their immigration procedures since April.
Phoenix Police data shows that emergency calls are typical in these neighborhoods compared to the past five years.
It is legal to cross the border and seek asylum in the United States
A person can legally seek asylum by reaching the United States or arriving at a port of entry incorporated into international law after World War II and incorporated into US immigration law after the 1980 Refugee Act, according to the International Rescue Committee.
The IRC also states that people arriving at the U.S. border have the right to apply for asylum without being criminalized, rejected, or separated from their children – even during a pandemic.
The number of people agents encountered at the U.S. border hit a 21-year high in March, with the numbers remaining constant.
Although April saw only a three percent increase, migration cycles suggest that the trend will slow down during the hot summer months.
The contract for the accommodation of migrants in hotel beds ends on September 20th.
Arizona Politics Arizona
Follow all of our latest updates on Arizona politics on our 12 message YouTube channel. Subscribe to updates on all of our new uploads.
