Arizona panel approves $2.5M in funding for National Guard border mission

Some border county sheriffs say there’s no crisis at the border

As politicians from both sides of the aisle claim there's a crisis at the border, sheriffs with two border counties in Arizona say they disagree with that assessment.

PHOENIX (AP) - The State Emergency Council has voted to allocate approximately $2.5 million to help pay for Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s deployment of 250 National Guard personnel to free up law enforcement officers in towns along the Arizona-Mexico border.

Ducey’s office said the council cleared use of the money from the Governor’s Emergency Fund on April 29 to support the deployment until the Legislature approves a $25 million appropriation sought by the governor.

Citing an increase in migrant arrivals and their impact on local communities, Ducey recently declared an emergency and later said he was sending Guard troops initially to the Yuma area and possibly elsewhere.

According to Ducey’s office, the troops will help with medical operations at detention centers, install and maintain border cameras, collect data from public safety cameras and analyze satellite imagery for current smuggling trends.