By Staff Reporter |
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes appears to lack basic knowledge of state law.
Mayes claimed in a post that recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program are currently eligible to serve in law enforcement in Arizona.
“DACA recipients are police officers, firefighters, nurses and small business owners in Arizona,” said Mayes.
DACA recipients aren’t American citizens. Rather, they’re individuals who arrived illegally in the country as minors and were granted delayed deportation under the DACA program created by former President Barack Obama.
DACA recipients must renew their status every two years. Recipients are disqualified from renewal if they have committed a felony, significant misdemeanor, three or more misdemeanors, and/or otherwise posed a threat to national security or public safety.
Arizona law prohibits illegal aliens and other noncitizens from joining law enforcement.
“Notwithstanding any other law, the qualifications [for peace officers] shall require United States citizenship[,]” states the law.
Mayes provided the erroneous representation of state law in response to a Republican attorney general candidate looking to unseat her, Senate President Warren Petersen (LD14). Mayes called Petersen’s belief in deportation for all illegal aliens, including those awarded DACA status, “disgusting.”
Petersen had criticized Mayes for celebrating the creation of the DACA program.
“[Mayes] is fighting to protect illegals. I will keep our border secure and will work with the federal government to deport everyone who enters this country illegally,” said Petersen. “We welcome everyone who comes here legally and abides by the law. But be ready to be deported or prosecuted if you don’t.”
Even those DACA recipients who violate the law may not face deportation as the DACA program rules require, due to Democratic elected officials intervening on their behalf.
In recent months, Rep. Adelita Grijalva and Pima County Attorney Laura Conover have fought to prevent the deportation of one DACA recipient, 32-year-old Jessica Marlene Corrales-Duarte, detained by ICE following her arrest for stealing approximately $5,500 worth of products from an Ulta Beauty in Tucson. That level of theft qualifies as a felony.
Conover told KOLD that Corrales-Duarte should be allowed to enter a diversion program and remain in the country. Grijalva called the theft a minor offense.
“Although that amount is higher than most of our organized retail theft cases, generally speaking, a person with no criminal history would and should be afforded an opportunity to enter a diversion program whereby they work steadily to repay what is owed and learn how to never end up involved in the criminal justice system again,” said Conover.
Multiple federal courts have ruled the DACA program to be unlawful. As a result, the Department of Homeland Security is prohibited from granting new admissions to the DACA program. However, those who obtained DACA on or before July 16, 2021 may keep their DACA status provided that they meet renewal eligibility.
Federal law enforcement revealed this week that a DACA recipient, Abraham Alvarez, 31, was the ringleader of the foiled terror plot to assassinate elected officials and other American citizens attending the UFC Freedom 250 fight at the White House on President Donald Trump’s birthday over the weekend.
Alvarez, an illegal alien from Mexico, overstayed a 2001 tourist visa with his family by more than a decade before he received DACA status in 2014. Alvarez was apprehended in his state of residence, Nebraska. His DACA status was revoked following his arrest for the domestic terror plot.
Four other men — American citizens residing in California, Missouri, and Ohio — were arrested for the terror plot along with Alvarez.
It is estimated that more than 825,000 individuals who entered the country illegally as minors were enrolled in the DACA program.
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