(KYMA/NBC News) U.S. Customs and Border Patrol announced Thursday it is releasing migrants into the Yuma, Arizona community.
According to Yuma Sector Border Patrol, the first group of migrants was disbursed into the community Thursday afternoon.
Yuma Border Patrol officials say their processing center is currently occupied by nearly 800 people, but it is only meant to hold about 400 people.
Until now migrants had been sent to Phoenix after being processed by the Yuma Sector Border Patrol.
Yuma’s mayor stressed that those being released into the community are all family units, and that they will be offered assistance.
“We want to make sure our citizens in Yuma are safe, but we also want to make sure that the humanitarian needs of people are addressed because we don’t, I don’t believe it’s in the culture of people in Yuma. I don’t believe it’s the culture of the United States to let people go hungry and homeless,” Mayor Doug Nicholls said.
Those who entered the country alone or have criminal backgrounds will not be released.
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