BREAKING: Yuma, Arizona mayor announces first release of migrants into community as Title 42 expires

On Thursday, Yuma, Arizona Mayor Douglas Nicholls announced that local Border Patrol agents would be releasing migrants into the community for the first time in over two years. 

The release, which is said to involve over 100 illegal migrants, comes as border regions brace for an anticipated influx of crossings with the lifting of Title 42 Thursday at midnight EST.



"I was notified by Border Patrol," Nicholls said during a press conference, "that beginning tomorrow, in the morning they're gonna be releasing people in different sections of the Greater Yuma community and throughout the whole county."

Nicholls explained that there will be 141 releases on Friday, 96 within the city of Yuma itself. "These are people that have been vetted," he said, "at least to the point where Border Patrol has issued them 'notice to appear' papers, which wherever they end up living in the country they are to follow up with the judicial process." He lamented the fact that it currently takes "three to seven years" to make it through that process.

The mayor admitted that the release will "have an impact" on the community, and asked citizens of Yuma to "remain calm," assuring them that none of the migrants were convicted criminals.
 

Nicholls also made a point of noting that the migrants were not going to be released into neighbourhoods, rather, “commercial-type areas” that “have resources” they can utilize.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.