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The shelters are now scheduled to close on January 26. The financial burden on Pima County has been further exacerbated by federal policies that only reimburse costs for shelters actively housing migrants.
“We can’t bill the federal government for the reimbursement of our costs if we don’t have anybody in the shelter,” said Pima County Board of Supervisors Chair Rex Scott in a statement to KOLD-TV.
The shelters have served as a critical resource for migrants since 2019. Over the past four years, they have supported more than 518,000 individuals released into Cochise, Santa Cruz, and Pima counties by the Department of Homeland Security. During this time, federal funding to operate these shelters has exceeded $117 million.
With these closures, local officials and residents are left grappling with what this means for the community’s future. To put things into perspective, the tri-county region—comprising Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise counties—has a combined population of approximately 1.24 million people. Based on recent census data, this means the influx of migrants over the years has created a ratio of roughly one migrant for every 2.38 residents.
The Trump administration, known for its strong stance on immigration, is also ramping up deportation efforts. In its first week, more than 450 individuals have been arrested in nationwide deportation operations. “Right out of the gate, it’s public safety threats, those who are in the country illegally that have been convicted, arrested for serious crime,” Border Czar Tom Homan said in an interview.
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However, Homan also emphasized that sanctuary cities complicate these operations. “There’s not only public safety threats that will be arrested, because in sanctuary cities, we’re not allowed to get that public safety threat in the jail, which means we got to go to the neighborhood and find him,” he added.
For Arizona’s border communities, the closure of these shelters represents a pivotal shift in how migrants will be handled under the Trump administration. The absence of federal support for empty shelters, combined with intensified enforcement and deportations, is reshaping the region’s approach to immigration. As local officials continue to adapt, the long-term consequences for both migrants and residents remain to be seen.
