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As Number Of ‘Gotaways’ Increases, Arizona House Expected To Pass Border Security Act

May 29, 2024

By Daniel Stefanski |

Fears of terrorists and other dangerous individuals crossing the border are driving Arizona legislative Republicans to take action on the southern border crisis.

Over the weekend, Senator David Gowan issued a statement over the border crisis and his Caucus’ efforts to send a border-related measure to Arizona voters for the November General Election. He specifically focused on the ongoing apprehensions of suspected terrorists at the border, writing, “Democrats touting dangerous and misleading rhetoric about the Secure the Border Act, as well as the border crisis as a whole, is reckless for many reasons. They would like citizens to believe the only people entering our country are innocent asylum seekers. However, the data coming from federal agencies, such as the FBI and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as well as our state law enforcement, consistently tells us otherwise. These agencies have been warning us of the increase in terrorists entering our country illegally and the threat they pose to the safety of America.”

The southern Arizona Republican senator added, “According to the most recent federal data, the number of suspected terrorists who’ve entered our country illegally has spiked over 2,500% during the Biden Administration. Border Patrol agents have apprehended nearly 400 illegal aliens between fiscal years 2021 and 2024 whose names appeared on the terror watch list. This includes Afghan, Pakistani, and Chinese nationals, among many others. Our country is in danger, and we are in dire need of securing our border!”

Earlier this month, the Arizona Senate Republicans Caucus’ “X” account shared a video with statements from Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and National Border Patrol Council Vice President Art Del Cueto, highlighting the dangers of the increasing number of ‘gotaways’ who have eluded law enforcement at the border. Many of these individuals are entering the United States through the Tucson Sector of the border, which covers a vast stretch of southern Arizona.

A recent Freedom of Information Act request from Fox News revealed that “between FY 2010 and FY 2020 inclusive, there were over 1.4 million gotaways, ranging from a low of 86,226 in FY 2011 to a high of 171,663 in FY 2013.”

There have been at least 1.8 million ‘gotaways’ at the border in almost four years of the Biden administration (FY 21-24).

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, who successfully ushered the Secure the Border Act through his chamber this past week, released a statement on the urgent need for voters to be able to consider this measure and state Democrats’ opposition to commonsense border solutions to protect communities. Petersen said, “The Governor’s reckless disregard for the safety and well-being of our citizens during this open border crisis our state is currently enduring at the hands of Joe Biden has left us no other option than to send the Secure the Border Act to the ballot. She’s blocked numerous attempts by Republican lawmakers to pass legislation addressing this issue, so we want to empower Arizonans to take matters into their own hands to protect their communities and support our law enforcement.”

The Republican Senate President added, “I’m pleased to report this critical measure, also known as HCR 2060, passed the Senate this week and now heads to the House for a final vote before appearing on the November ballot. Sadly, all Senate Democrats voted against the measure. Illegal immigration cost Arizona taxpayers more than $3 billion dollars last year. We’re confident we can offset future losses, reduce crime, and save lives with HCR 2060.”

Now that HCR 2060 has been passed by the Arizona Senate, it will now be considered by the Arizona House of Representatives. This chamber, which is led by Speaker Ben Toma, is expected to approve of the measure, which would send it to state voters for the November General Election.

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.

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