Arizona Town Declares Emergency Over Donald Trump’s Deportation Policy

The Mayor of Douglas City Council in Arizona has told Newsweek why he declared a state of emergency in response to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Mayor Jose Grijalva, a Democrat, said his economy depends on the cross-border relationship with the Mexican town of Agua Prieta, two miles away.

He said he simply wants to let Trump know that his city may need funds to sustain its economy if it loses out as a result of the president’s policies. “This isn’t political in nature,” he said.

Why It Matters

Immigration and mass deportations were a key component of President Trump’s successful 2024 campaign. Americans largely support the president’s mass deportation plans but disagree about how policies should be carried out. A poll by The New York Times and Ipsos from January 2 to 10 found that 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported such plans. Eighty-eight percent supported “deporting immigrants who are here illegally and have criminal records.”

While most Americans support immigration reform, border communities are more divided. Towns like Douglas face worker shortages and high compliance costs under Trump’s policies, straining key industries like construction and agriculture.

What To Know

The emergency city declaration, which passed by a majority of 3-2, states that the border town would experience “a potential loss in revenue for (the municipal) government and local businesses” and “an increase in costs to assist the federal government in carrying out these proclamations and Executive Order.”

Mayor Grijalva voiced concerns about President Trump’s emergency declaration at the southern border and the possible closure of the U.S.-Mexico frontier. He pushed for the emergency declaration to prevent potential financial impacts on the border city’s revenue.

“We’re being proactive in our approach,” he told Newsweek. “This is to let the President know that we need to be on the radar in case we need any funds to sustain our economy and also any reimbursement if the federal government comes down and uses our personnel or resources.”

The mayor warned that the local economy heavily depends on residents from Agua Prieta. “It is around 70 percent of our sales tax and any border policies effect our economy,” he said.

Council members Ray Shelton and Richard Acosta voted against the proclamation, expressing similar concerns that the declaration was being made too early. “(Constituents are) saying, if we do this, that it’s going to show that we’re in an emergency when there’s no emergency,” Shelton said in a special meeting Wednesday night.

“We’re almost jumping the gun,” Acosta said. “Why is Douglas declaring an emergency? It almost seems like Douglas is going against the administration right now.”

“It’s nothing political,” Grijalva said in response. “The immigration issue is a federal issue, and I think however they carry it out, we need to protect our constituents with some sort of cushion with funding.”

Douglas, located in Cochise County in the southeastern corner of the state, has a population of approximately 16,500. Just across the border in Mexico, Agua Prieta has a population of around 91,000.

According to the American Immigration Council, roughly 13.1 percent of the state’s residents are immigrants, and about 8.6 percent of its U.S.-born residents live with at least one immigrant parent.

The American Immigration Council also estimates that the mass deportation policy could impose a one-time cost of $315 billion on the United States. Moreover, deporting 1 million individuals yearly could result in annual expenses reaching up to $88 billion.

Meanwhile, Trump’s designated border czar, Tom Homan, said the administration will initially need $86 billion from Congress to conduct mass deportations.

Business leaders around the country are concerned about the social and economic impact of the Trump administration’s policies.

According to the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC), agricultural output will fall between $30 and $60 billion nationwide under Trump’s flagship immigration policy.

Trump signed an executive order to declare a national emergency at the southern border, allowing him to use federal funding to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border without congressional approval.

What People Are Saying

Douglas Mayor Jose Grijalva told Newsweek: “We’re being proactive in our approach. Agua Prieta is around 70 percent of our sales tax and any border policies effect our economy. This is to let the President know that we need to be on the radar in case we need any funds to sustain our economy and also any reimbursement if the federal government comes down and uses our personnel or resources. This isn’t political in nature.”