The Douglas City Council moved with a certain alacrity this week, passing a proclamation of emergency during a special meeting, with Mayor Jose Grijalva citing potential financial damages stemming from President Donald Trump's executive orders concerning the border and immigration. Grijalva expressed, "I’m just trying to protect my community and our economy. Especially with that port of entry coming in," affirming this move as a measure to safeguard the community's financial stability, as reported by KOLD.
The urgency feels palpable across the town, with Douglas's economic heartbeat synced closely to the shopping habits of Mexican neighbors, the tax revenue is a bedrock for the town's solvency, and the closure of the border resembling the pandemic-mandated shutdown could be disastrous—echoed by Ralph Robles, CEO of the Douglas Business Network in a statement to ABC15 who also noted the potential peril, "We are very dependent on Mexico coming to shop over here and gaining tax revenue."
However, not all agree with the dramatic timbre of such a decree; critics of the proclamation fear the semblance of a false emergency declaration could wrong-foot the city's reputation, as Douglas Council Member Jose Montaño skeptically broached during the council meeting, feared to be misinterpreted by the administration as well as outsiders. "The optics of it, people from everywhere, to include the current administration, it’s going to be ‘hey, why is Douglas declaring an emergency?’" as per ABC15.
Longtime residents like Max Raulstone, who referred to Agua Prieta as many things including a lifeline for Douglas in his half-century tenure in the city, mirrored the unease, telling KOLD, "We’re still alive, but we need help." As the proclamation passed, with two dissenting votes from the council, the undercurrent of the discussion hinged on Douglas's resiliency and tenacity, despite the Mayor's proactive posture.
