By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14) criticized Attorney General Kris Mayes last week following reports that representatives of Living United for Change in Arizona, known as LUCHA, contacted her office seeking opposition to the Secure the Border Act in 2024.
Petersen, the Republican nominee challenging Mayes for attorney general, alleged that the communications showed activists influencing the office’s position on the measure.
“When Arizona was facing a historic border crisis, Kris Mayes’ office was coordinated with a left-wing organization to defeat the Secure the Border Act and keep our border open,” Petersen said. “These records raise serious questions about who is driving policy in the Attorney General’s office.”
He continued, “Mayes opposed a measure designed to give Arizona additional tools to confront illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and secure the border at the behest of activists.”
According to the Washington Free Beacon, a lobbyist representing LUCHA emailed Mayes’ office on May 6, 2024, asking whether she would oppose the proposal and issue a public statement. Mayes announced her opposition three days later.
In a statement on May 9, 2024, Mayes cited funding and staffing shortages at law enforcement agencies, concerns about racial profiling, and potential economic consequences. She also criticized the federal government’s handling of border security.
“This referral is a political distraction that will sow seeds of bias and fear without fixing the issues it claims to address,” Mayes said.
Mayes said she would continue pursuing federal border security funding, targeting drug cartels, and working with other law enforcement agencies to stop fentanyl trafficking.
The Free Beacon also reported that LUCHA’s then-political director, Chris Gilfillan, contacted Mayes’ communications director, Richie Taylor, in June 2024 to request a discussion about her approach to the proposal, including its prosecutorial implications. Taylor agreed to speak and provided his phone number.
The Secure the Border Act advanced as House Concurrent Resolution 2060 and appeared on the November 2024 ballot as Proposition 314. Arizona voters approved it with approximately 62.6% of the vote.
The law, which took effect in July, creates offenses involving false documents or information submitted by people unlawfully present in the country when applying for public benefits or employment. It also addresses entry into Arizona outside lawful ports of entry, refusal to comply with return orders, and the sale of fentanyl that causes another person’s death.
In a post to X, Petersen described Mayes as a “public safety disaster.”
“As Attorney General, I will continue to make public safety and enforcement of the law a priority,” Petersen said.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
