By The newspaper
Jun 26, 2024, 7:27 PM EDT
The steel containers that the Arizona government used in 2022 to try to stop migration at the border with Mexico now have a new purpose: to serve as cooling centers for homeless people in various cities in the state.
These temporary shelters, known as ‘Cooltainers’, will operate until the end of August to provide relief from the extreme temperatures of the Arizona desert, which have already exceeded 43 degrees Celsius (110 Fahrenheit), according to the EFE news agency.
Mark Sandoval, a user of one of these centers in Tucson, expressed his gratitude to EFE for this initiative: “I am very happy that the state is using these containers to make cooling centers, they are really saving my life. At the border they were useless, here they serve a good purpose.”
Last year, Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located, recorded 645 deaths due to extreme heat, a figure significantly higher than the 442 deaths in 2022. This context of increasing heat-related mortality has made the adaptation of these containers a crucial measure.
More than a dozen of these containers, which previously formed a barrier at the border, have been reconditioned to face the high temperatures.
Now, painted white and equipped with solar power, they provide shelter in cities like Tucson, Phoenix and Yuma.
Some of these ‘Cooltainers’ have folding beds, televisions and charging points for mobile devices, while others offer board games and snacks so that users can distract themselves and refresh themselves.
The history of containers
The story of these containers began in 2022, when the then governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, ordered their installation to cover areas without a border wall in an effort to control the migratory flow.
This initiative cost approximately $96 million dollars. However, after facing a federal lawsuit, Ducey ordered its withdrawal, an action that was continued by the current governor, Katie Hobbs.
In an effort to recoup some of the money invested, the state has been selling the containers to nonprofit organizations. These groups have found in ‘Cooltainers’ a way to provide essential shelter during the hottest months of the year, offering new purpose to what was previously a migration barrier.
With information from EFE.
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