The Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) passed a resolution declaring its right to refuse entry to federal immigration officials on school grounds.
During a special meeting last Friday, the PXU Governing Board unanimously passed its “Safe Zone Resolution” which designated PXU as a “Safe Zone.”
Under this “Safe Zone” designation, the governing board claimed, PXU officials reserve the right to deny Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) entry to any campus.
The governing board required ICE — as well as any state or local law enforcement agencies acting for ICE — to submit a request to Superintendent Thea Andrade or her designee for review. PXU asserted that Andrade or her designee had the authority to review whether each requested instance of campus access by immigration enforcement would be permitted by law or would require a judicial warrant.
Similarly, PXU required immigration enforcement agents to go through Andrade’s office to request student information.
PXU further claimed in its resolution that their district doesn’t maintain any data relating to students’ immigration status, characterizing the distinction as “potentially discriminatory” and “irrelevant” to education. The district declared that all students “regardless of immigration status” had a right to free public K-12 classrooms, even claiming that illegal alien minors had “other legal grounds for presence” in the country. The district resolution didn’t clarify what those were.
“[F]ederal immigration law enforcement activities, on or around District property and transportation routes, whether by surveillance, interview, demand for information, arrest, detention, or any other means, harmfully disrupt the learning environment to which all students, regardless of immigration status, are entitled and significantly interfere with the ability of all students, including U.S. citizen students and students who hold other legal grounds for presence in the U.S., to access a free public K-12 education,” stated the resolution.
The resolution was submitted before the board for approval by PXU general counsel, Eileen D. Fernandez.
Fernandez formerly served as the associate general counsel for Orange County Public Schools from 2010 to 2021.
The Trump administration has already indicated its intent to bring accountability to those who hinder immigration enforcement efforts.
The day after Trump’s inauguration last week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued an internal memo warning that all laws and actions “that threaten to impede” the Trump administration’s immigration initiatives were to be considered threats to public safety and national security.
The DOJ directed its Civil Division within the Office of the Associate Attorney General to identify and take legal action against state and local laws, policies, and activities serving as noncompliance to the Trump administration’s immigration initiative.
That memo also launched investigations into state or local law enforcement officials believed to be interfering with immigration enforcement.
“[I]n the absence of unusual facts, prosecutorial discretion at the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices is bounded by the core principle that prosecutors should charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offenses,” stated the memo from Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove.
Bove’s memo declared that all state and local actors were required by the Constitution and federal law to comply with Trump’s immigration enforcement initiatives. The DOJ said that noncompliance would trigger federal investigations and, likely, prosecutions.
“Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests pursuant to, for example, the President’s extensive Article II authority with respect to foreign affairs and national security, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the Alien Enemies Act,” stated the memo.
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In a recent report, the Common Sense Institute of Arizona (CSI) addressed the gradual slowing of enrollment in Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program and traditional public school classrooms. The report shows that despite narratives for one or the other, the decline in both can be explained quite directly as a matter of demographics and parental choice.
In a press release issued Monday, CSI explained, “Headlines about declining enrollment and the subsequent financial struggles this creates in Arizona’s public schools have caught the state’s attention. However, CSI’s data shows this shift was inevitable, driven by dramatic demographic changes and a shift in enrollment preferences during the pandemic.”
Among CSI’s findings, it found that the school-age population of Arizona peaked in 2021 and is projected to decrease by 40,000 by 2028, heavily impacting an educational system which was structurally predicated on the assumption of a continually growing population.
CSI added, “The 2012 kindergarten cohort—the state’s largest ever—is now preparing to graduate. Future K-12 enrollment is not expected to grow in the foreseeable future.”
Arizona’s Public School Enrollment Decline: No Surprise
CSI research shows Arizona’s K-12 demographic shift has been years in the making: 📉 School-aged population peaked in 2021 🎓 The largest kindergarten class (2012) is now preparing to graduate 👶 By 2028, the school-aged… pic.twitter.com/u5rbGnVLFp
— Common Sense Institute Arizona (@CSInstituteAZ) January 28, 2025
CSI observed further that during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Arizona’s public schools lost 50,000 enrolled students from 2020-2021. Only 18,000 of those students re-enrolled in charter schools with the remaining approximate 32,000 otherwise unaccounted for. It is likely that this number presents a combination of expanded home schooling, relocation out of Arizona, and even enrollment in private schools. Indeed, the report indicates that private school enrollment spiked by 33% over that period with homeschooling experiencing a surge from 2% of the total student population to 11%, and settling back to 6% as of today.
Glenn Farley, CSI Arizona’s Director of Policy and Research summarized, “Arizona’s classrooms are entering a new era. The numbers have been clear for years: the system built for growth has reached its peak. Moving forward, policymakers must adapt to a smaller, more diverse student population and rethink how we allocate resources.”
Arizona’s Public School Enrollment Decline is No Surprise According to the Common Sense Institute Arizona–
— Common Sense Institute Arizona (@CSInstituteAZ) January 28, 2025
The CSI report noted the effect on budgetary considerations has been extreme. “Declining public school enrollments since 2020 reduced public K-12 funding formula costs by an estimated $450 million/year, and growing, compared to pre-pandemic trends. Since last year, the universal ESA program has returned these ‘missing kids’ to the public K-12 rolls – reinvesting prior ‘savings’ into education.”
The ESA, a subject of controversy in the state legislature, has reached a “steady state” according to CSI, with the recent period of rapid growth unlikely to be repeated and future increases owing almost exclusively to parental and student choice.
CSI concluded, “Demographic changes likely mean fewer school-aged children and lower overall enrollment across Arizona’s publicly funded K-12 options over the next ten years. And ultimately it is this demographic change, and pandemic-era changes in parental behavior that are changing K-12 in Arizona – and not-so-much universal ESA itself.”
As previously reported by AZ Free News, Governor Katie Hobbs’ repeated attacks on ESAs have centered primarily on the narrative of the program alternately being “rife with waste, fraud and abuse,” being costly to the state budget, and calling for a repeal of the popular program.
The City of Glendale is moving forward with its Veteran’s Transitional Housing Project. Through the approval of an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Maricopa County Human Services Department (MCHSD), it will jointly develop a transitional housing project to assist homeless or at-risk veterans on land near 63rd Avenue and Grand Ave. The city will be working in partnership with the Veterans Community Project (VCP) to see the project through.
According to a city press release, Mayor Weiers hailed the City Council’s approval saying, “I am grateful that my fellow councilmembers recognize the severe needs of our veterans. This project is just one of many that the city is working on to improve the lives of the people we serve daily.”
He added, “As most folks know, military personnel and veterans have always been a top priority to me; combined with veteran homelessness, this project is something all our councilmembers support. By partnering with Veterans Community Project, we are able to take on these top priorities while working with a nationally renowned veteran-serving organization.”
“I look forward to seeing veterans going through this program to become self-reliant again, and more importantly be able to hold their chest out and feel good about themselves.”
As reported by ABC15, the VCP has already partnered with multiple cities across the country to construct veterans’ villages comprised of mini-homes and community spaces to accommodate the veterans in need.
The organization announced in a post to X.com that it expects to break ground on February 1st at the site adjacent to VFW Post 1433 on 63rd Ave. in Glendale. The development will include housing for single veterans and families with fifty units ranging in size from 240 to 360 square feet.
Big news! Our mission to fix Veteran homelessness across the United States is taking a big step forward on February 1 as we break ground on Veterans Community Project of Glendale in Arizona. pic.twitter.com/2t3Pmt1wgC
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers said in an article published by KTAR, “After bravely serving our country, it is a shame that our veterans often exit service only to face challenges like not being able to afford housing.”
“By offering support and transitional housing options, we can help these selfless men and women more easily reintegrate into civilian life and provide stability for their families.”
As reported by the outlet, the board approved $3 million in funding to help defray the costs of the project. The City of Glendale has allocated $3.8 million and the State of Arizona has set aside another $3.2 million in funds. Overall the Intergovernmental Agreement earmarked a sum of $14.2 million from all stakeholders.
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act or H.R. 21 passed the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives last week in a party line vote. The Republican delegation of Arizona voted unanimously in favor of the bill.
Two of the three Arizona Democrats in Congress voted against it, with Rep. Raúl Grijalva not voting.
The passage of the bill was hailed by both Congressional Arizona Republicans and the Trump administration. Congressman Andy Biggs, who recently announced his intent to run for Governor of Arizona, wrote in a post to X, “204 Democrats refuse to protect babies who survive an attempted murder. Republicans are pro-life, pro-woman, and pro-family.”
204 Democrats refuse to protect babies who survive an attempted murder.
Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ-08) issued a statement via X saying, “The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is a bill that supports basic human rights and the opposition of such is the support of murder. If a child survives an abortion and is denied life-saving care, they are being denied the same protection and medical care that any other newborn baby is afforded. As several of my colleagues noted today, this bill is not about abortion. This bill is about living breathing babies. Today, I voted to pass this common sense legislation to correct this egregious humanitarian crisis.”
#BREAKING: The House just passed H.R. 21, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
The White House released a statement following the bill’s passage, noting its concurrence with President Trump’s Executive Order of September 25, 2020, which stated that the policy of the United States is “to recognize the human dignity and inherent worth of every newborn or other infant child, regardless of prematurity or disability, and to ensure for each child due protection under the law.”
The White House concluded “A baby that survives an abortion and is born alive into this world should be treated just like any other baby born alive. H.R. 21 would properly amend current law to ensure that the life of one baby is not treated as being more or less valuable than another. If H.R. 21 were presented to the President in its current form, his advisors would recommend he sign it into law.” Despite the advancement of the House measure, the Senate Version of the bill was stalled when a key motion to invoke cloture, ending debate, failed. Although the GOP controls the Senate as well with 53 votes, a majority of 60 is needed to invoke cloture, requiring bipartisan support.
The push to pass the bill through both Houses of Congress was timed to coincide with the March for Life on Friday in Washington, D.C., and the 52nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling.
Constituents of the seventh congressional district are calling on their congressman, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, to retire from office due to his failing to show up for key votes this session.
Per House Clerk records, Grijalva hasn’t cast a vote on legislation this session yet. His last vote was for Hakeem Jeffries for House Speaker at the start of this month.
Critics of Grijalva’s continued absence in the House pointed out how Grijalva urged former President Joe Biden to drop out of last year’s presidential race.
House Clerk records also show that Grijalva last cast votes in November 2024 during the second session of the last Congress. There were nearly 40 roll call votes taken that second session, during which Grijalva was registered as “not voting.”
Grijalva sat on the committees for Education and Workforce, and Natural Resources. The congressman stepped down from his leadership position in the latter last month. Grijalva entered Congress in 2003.
Grijalva’s lack of presence in Congress is attributable to his lung cancer diagnosis, which he announced last April. Despite undergoing cancer treatments, Grijalva committed to running another term — his final, he promised.
Last October, Cronkite News reported that Grijalva didn’t cast any votes since mid-February, several months before he announced his cancer diagnosis. Those missed votes amounted to over 300.
Altogether, Grijalva missed about 480 out of the 490 roll call votes from mid-February through last week. As Arizona Daily Star columnist and constituent Tim Steller pointed out, that amounts to 97 percent of voting opportunities missed.
For Star subscribers: Tucson's Rep. Raúl Grijalva asked Pres. Biden to drop out of his race in July. Now it's time for Grijalva, who has missed almost 500 votes since https://t.co/KI06gxtjBV
Grijalva told KOLD at the time that his failing to vote made no difference in Congress.
“They’re inconsequential because the Republicans are in charge and it’s the worst performing Congress in decades, if not a hundred years,” said Grijalva.
This session, Grijalva has missed out on 25 key votes on 19 pieces of legislation:
House Resolution 5: Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress, and for other purposes
House Resolution 29: The Laken Riley Act
House Resolution 23: Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act
House Resolution 192: Amtrak Executive Bonus Disclosure Act
House Resolution 152: Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act
House Resolution 153: Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act
House Resolution 28: Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act
House Resolution 164: POWER Act
House Resolution 144: Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act
House Resolution 33: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide special rules for the taxation of certain residents of Taiwan with income from sources within the United States
House Resolution 30: Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act
House Resolution 186: Hershel “Woody” Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act
House Resolution 187: MAPWaters Act
House Resolution 53: Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 471) the Fix Our Forests Act; and providing for consideration of the bill (S. 5) the Laken Riley Act
House Resolution 165: Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act
Senate Bill 5: Laken Riley Act
House Resolution 375: Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response Act
House Resolution 471: Fix Our Forests Act
House Resolution 21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
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Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs announced on Saturday to the Arizona Republican Party’s 2025 Statutory Meeting that, following his “Statement of Interest” to run against Democrat incumbent Governor Katie Hobbs, he is formally running for Governor of Arizona.
Biggs addressed the body, which re-elected AZGOP Chairwoman Gina Swoboda, and made the announcement. Footage shared to X by Activist Nico Delgado captured the moment when Biggs told meeting attendees, “I am jumping in formally to the race for governor in 2026. Thank you.”
BREAKING: Congressman Andy Biggs officially announces that he is running for Governor of Arizona pic.twitter.com/veM2R9n1Zy
“I am jumping in formally,” he said. “It is now time to Make Arizona Great Again,” according to AZ Capitol Times. The outlet noted that Biggs first asked the party leaders if he should get a haircut before asking if they would support his bid for the 9th Floor.
In a follow up post to X later in the day, Biggs wrote, “It’s time to Make Arizona Great Again! I am excited to be in the race for Governor and look forward to serving all Arizonans! Sign my petition at http://biggsforarizona.com!”
It’s time to Make Arizona Great Again! I am excited to be in the race for Governor and look forward to serving all Arizonans!
In an exclusive AZ Free News poll conducted by Data Orbital, Biggs is dominating early polling with 31.7%, a commanding 19.3 point lead over Karrin Taylor Robson. State Treasurer Kimberly Yee trailed with 7.4%
A new poll shows @repandybiggs with a big lead over other potential GOP opponents in the 2026 race for AZ governor. The results saw Biggs take an early polling lead with 31.7%, Taylor Robson who had 12.4% support, & Yee trailed with 7.4% support.https://t.co/jlR5VXRdlU
A subsequent poll released by NicoPAC covered 512 Registered Voters in Arizona “weighed for race, age and gender following a mix of voter registration data, past election data from the Arizona Secretary of State’s office, and the ACS.” It saw Biggs take 58.5% with Taylor Robson dropping behind Yee at 8.8%, and the Arizona Treasurer climbing to double digits with 10.8%.
Biggs’ announcement was followed by Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk and was later supported by former his former congressional colleague Matt Gaetz.
In an interview with Steve Bannon’s War Room on Rumble prior to the formal announcement, Congressman Eli Crane also offered his tacit endorsement of Biggs telling Bannon, “I think Andy is the most conservative and probably the strongest member of the U.S. House. He was also President of the Senate in Arizona. He knows Arizona. He knows how the system works better than anybody. I don’t think anybody would do a better job. You know, he has my full support, and I know he has the support of the War Room Posse… I hope he pulls the trigger and goes all the way through with it.”
WATCH:
Former Arizona State Representative Austin Smith also shared his support in a lengthy post to X, writing in part that Arizonans “won’t have a revolving door of contract lobbyists on the 9th Floor deciding what legislation is signed and needs to be vetoed.”
Why @andybiggs4az is the right choice for Republicans in Arizona for 2026:
– effective, reliable and bonafide conservative vote in Congress.
– had the courage to vacate the chair during a do-nothing speakership.
