On Tuesday, July 15, residents of Pinal County are expected to be joined by Arizonans from across the state to protest the settlement of unaccompanied alien children (UAC), who are part of the recent border surge.
Organizers released a statement advising residents that they will be blocking the road leading to Peppersauce Canyon outside of Oracle, AZ. on Mt. Lemmon Road from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. They are also planning a follow up protest on Saturday July 19th.
Approximately 40 – 50 male UACs will be settled at the in the Sycamore Canyon Academy that houses male wards of the state of Arizona.
Residents who are angry about Mexico’s role in the surge are organizing a protest in front of the Mexican Consulate in Tucson at 553 South Stone Avenue, on Friday July 18, at noon.
According to a statement released this weekend, Bob Skiba, a Pinal County activist, residents are unsure when the busses will arrive so organizers will work on setting up a “vigil through the night at the junction.”
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu was alerted by federal authorities and has detailed thirty of his deputies to the site beginning early Tuesday morning.
“There are major concerns from a public safety perspective about the situation,” Sheriff Paul Babeu told KVOA.
KVOA reported, “The new arrivals would nearly double the number of individuals currently staying at the facility.”
As the AZDI reported earlier, since June 30, 273 unaccompanied alien children (UAC) have been placed in the shelter operated by Southwest Key. The shelter has a capacity of 283 beds and is located at Miracle Mile and Drachman in Pima County.
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