Why Kelly’s aide transported asylum-seekers

A top aide to Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., has personally helped transport asylum-seekers released by the Border Patrol in a remote town about 40 miles north of the Mexico border.

Last Sunday evening, Luis Heredia, Kelly’s state director, helped a southern Arizona non-profit strained by the release of hundreds of migrants who have been granted humanitarian parole in the U.S. and are lawfully permitted to remain in the country while their request for asylum is processed.

“A lot of Arizonans are stepping up to help and while there is a lot I do in my job to assist, I felt compelled to volunteer as well to make sure this non-profit had the help they needed,” Heredia said in a written statement to The Arizona Republic.

His involvement puts a personal touch to an issue of international importance. Kelly’s office has for weeks sought ways to ensure rural Arizona communities can provide transportation to migrant shelters in Tucson and Phoenix.

The practice isn’t new, but as bordercrossing has risen since President Joe Biden took office in January, the need for help outstrips the abilities of those trying to help manage the situation.

The spike in cross-border traffic is partly attributed to the change to President Joe Biden from former President Donald Trump, who made clamping down on illegal immigration and limiting asylum requests a top priority.

Instead of releasing migrants directly to shelters, as previously done, the

Border Patrol this year has started releasing them in cities and towns near Border Patrol stations in southern Arizona. Those smaller communities don’t have the facilities or transportation infrastructure necessary to help the migrants after they are dropped off.

Sometimes the towns and non-profits secure buses or vans to get the migrants to shelters. Last month, the mayor of Gila Bend scrambled to find transportation for a different group of asylum-seekers, including children. He eventually borrowed vans that he, his wife, and two volunteers used to drive the migrants to Phoenix. Gila Bend has declared a state of emergency over the drop-offs.

Last Sunday, Heredia heard the International Sonoran Desert Alliance urgently needed help after the Border Patrol released dozens of migrants.

Heredia decided to make the twohour drive to Ajo, and after the migrants cleared COVID-19 tests, drove them to a shelter in Phoenix.

Heredia, born and raised in Somerton, volunteered in his personal capacity and on personal time, according to Kelly’s office.

Aaron Cooper, executive director of the International Sonoran Desert Alliance, which has been coordinating Ajo’s local response, said Heredia, through his work in Kelly’s office, has been a crucial connection to help arrange transportation options for migrants.

It’s been particularly critical on days they have experienced two drop-offs, such as Sunday, he said.

“We’d just kind of burned through everybody and there were some conflicting events happening and we just couldn’t field a second release in the same day,” Cooper said.

“Even though we didn’t have a team ready to respond to that second release, per request from Luis, we made space available to be able to do the COVID testing. Even though we didn’t have the volunteer team in place, they came down with a team and used our space and set it up and went from there.”

Heredia coordinated with the International Rescue Committee, which runs the shelter in Phoenix, and Neighborhood Ministries, and CORAZÓN, Faith in Action, to administer the tests and transport the people to Phoenix.

Kelly told reporters during an appearance in Phoenix this week the Biden administration, the Department of Homeland Security and the Border Patrol needed to improve coordination and communication with towns and non-profits ahead of drop-offs.

“We’re working really hard to facilitate that,” Kelly said. “But, you know, we need to do better.”

Jacob Peters, a Kelly spokesperson, said the senator has made it clear since the earliest days of his run for senate that he wants to serve Arizona’s best interests. “That takes many forms,” he said.