The city of Tucson won’t be adhering to the immigration enforcement conditions attached to the $4.2 million federal grant for law enforcement.
Tucson City Council voted unanimously to accept the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Technology and Equipment Program grant last week after Roi Lusk, the city attorney, advised the council that the city was free to ignore the immigration enforcement conditions.
Conditions of acceptance of the $4.2 million included the requirements that the city not interfere with governmental information exchange on citizenship status. It also required the city to not operate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Lusk based his analysis on a federal ruling in the District Court for the District of Rhode Island issued earlier that day. The ruling barred the federal government from requiring immigration enforcement as a condition of receiving public safety grants.
Chief Judge John McConnell declared that the DOJ lacked the authority to add its own conditions onto the existing grant structure established by Congress.
“The law in this circuit is clear that Congress’s decision to impose a formula structure on a grant program constrains DOJ’s authority to add the immigration enforcement conditions at issue here,” said McConnell.
Tucson’s city attorney shared that the city is involved in four separation lawsuits with federal agencies across multiple jurisdictions across the country concerning the immigration enforcement requirements. In all four of those lawsuits, courts have enjoined the immigration enforcement conditions.
“In order to get a federal injunction, you have to sort of prove your case already,” said Lusk. “In every single one of these cases, the court has sided with [us] the cities and [they] find that we would likely prevail in court at trial.”
Tim Thomure, city manager, explained to the council that the city had requested the grant from the federal government to replace police vehicles and motorcycles. The city remains in active litigation with the federal government to divorce this grant money from the immigration enforcement requirement.
“We’ve been battling this for two years now and counting,” said Thomure.
Even if a court were to rule in the future in the federal government’s favor to require immigration enforcement as a condition of funds acceptance, Lusk said the city wouldn’t have to return any funds spent regardless of nonfulfillment of immigration enforcement.
“Our acceptance of the grant after we’ve already performed would prevent the federal government from enforcing it against us because we’ve already performed under the accepted conditions, and not under the unaccepted conditions,” said Lusk. “There have been dozens of federal grants that we’ve accepted, hundreds of millions of dollars and dozens of grants that we’ve accepted under these conditions and in each one of them we’ve filed the same type of cover letter indicating that those conditions are currently enjoined and that’s been approved by our litigation partners and the federal courts themselves.”
Attorney General Kris Mayes has joined several multi-state lawsuits challenging similar grant funding requirements centered on mandated immigration enforcement or limitations to grant spending on illegal aliens since President Donald Trump took office last year.
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Republican Rep. Eli Crane has won reelection in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, defeating Democratic challenger Jonathan Nez in a rematch that remained uncalled for nearly a week after Election Day.
The Associated Press called the race Monday morning, with Crane holding approximately 49.7% of the vote to Nez’s 48.5%. Crane, a former Navy SEAL who has represented the district since January 2023, secured a third term.
The call resolves Arizona’s final outstanding congressional contest and leaves Democrats with five of the state’s nine U.S. House seats for the next Congress. Republicans entered the election holding six seats.
“I’m going to keep fighting against the status quo in Congress,” Crane said. “Both parties have been driving this country into the ground for decades, and the American people are sick of it.”
He thanked voters for supporting him and acknowledged Nez’s decision to run again.
“We have a lot of work to do,” he continued, “and I’ll work with anyone to get things done for AZ-02. But I’ll also stand in the way of anyone trying to move this country in the wrong direction. Let’s get back to work.”
Nez had not conceded as of this report.
The candidates previously faced each other in 2024, when Crane defeated the former Navajo Nation president by approximately nine percentage points. This year, the lead changed hands during ballot counting before Crane established the advantage that preceded Monday’s race call.
The district covers much of rural northern and eastern Arizona, including Flagstaff, Prescott, and the Navajo Nation, and extends into northern Pinal County.
Outside organizations increased their spending on the contest during the closing weeks. An analysis of Federal Election Commission filings found that groups supporting Crane outspent those supporting Nez by more than two to one after the July primary, with most of the spending occurring in October.
KTAR identified No Going Back PAC as the largest outside spender, directing approximately $3.4 million toward supporting Crane and opposing Nez. House Majority PAC spent nearly $1 million against Crane.
Crane launched his first general election advertisement in July, emphasizing his military service and work on behalf of rural Arizona. His campaign said at the time that it planned a seven-figure paid media investment.
Crane’s victory follows Republican wins in two other competitive Arizona congressional contests. Rep. Abe Hamadeh defeated Bernadette Greene-Placentia in the 8th District, while former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb defeated Elizabeth Lee for the open 5th District seat.
Democrats gained the 1st District, where Amish Shah defeated Jay Feely, and the 6th District, where JoAnna Mendoza defeated Republican incumbent Rep. Juan Ciscomani.
Phoenix residents may have noticed some younger faces traveling around their neighborhoods this past weekend with buckets of paint and landscaping equipment.
Students at the Grand Canyon University (GCU), a private Christian university based in Phoenix, volunteered on Saturday morning to spruce up local neighborhoods.
The GCU students partnered with Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona to provide nine families with exterior painting and landscaping. The university and the local chapter of the nonprofit organization have entered into a partnership to engage in neighborhood revitalization.
The home renovation service on Saturday was the latest effort of that partnership. So far, GCU and Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona have reported contributing 630 home renovations and more than 1,500 home repairs across nearly 40,000 volunteer hours over the past decade together.
That averages out to around 75 to 80 hours of community service per week — essentially, the same number of hours it would take two individuals to work full time in a regular workweek.
GCU stated in a press release that this volunteer opportunity represented their students putting “faith into action” in order to “make a difference” for the neighbors of their campus.
In addition to charitable work, the university has recently made headlines and earned federal recognition for its efforts to impact workforce shortages in key sectors.
The Arizona Supreme Court recently granted GCU a unique, unanimous approval to launch its law school prior to receiving American Bar Association (ABA) accreditation. The court clarified that it issued its approval to address the nationwide shortage of attorneys.
GCU’s College of Law is scheduled to open by the fall of 2027; its graduates will be eligible for bar admission even without ABA accreditation.
The court advised in its announcement of the approval that it wouldn’t approve similar requests from non-ABA-accredited law schools during GCU’s evaluation period.
“Arizona faces a significant shortage of attorneys, and we are optimistic that GCU will provide an excellent legal education and help meet the need for more lawyers in communities throughout our state,” said Chief Justice Ann Timmer. “We look forward to getting to know the school’s faculty and students and watching the GCU College of Law grow and thrive.”
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited the GCU campus last month alongside Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08) to observe the university’s other workforce development efforts in person. Among the main exhibitions of that campus visit were Canyon Ventures, a startup networking and resource center, and Lux Precision Manufacturing, a manufacturing training facility for students.
McMahon called GCU “an incredibly marvelous institution” that stood out as an example of excellence among the schools across the 47 states she had visited.
“I’ve been to many universities and schools. You get a feel pretty quickly from the general vibe and culture of campus, and this is A-1, A-plus,” said McMahon. “Thank you very, very much for being an example for other universities throughout the country and throughout the world.”
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Financial aid forms offered by the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) asked students to disclose their parents’ citizenship status.
Discovery of this detail drew the ire of those seeking to apply who have noncitizen family members.
The citizenship disclosure questions were part of an affidavit that dependent domiciles were directed to fill out.
One student, Penelope Medina, reportedly declined to complete the form out of fear that her parents could face adverse consequences over their immigration status. Medina attends Mesa Community College.
Medina took her complaint to The Mesa Legend, Mesa Community College’s student-run newspaper where she works as an editor. The college issued its first $5,000 grant this year to graduating student journalists who work with the paper.
The original form from MCCCD required students to disclose their citizenship status: whether they were a citizen, refugee, permanent resident, or “other.” It also required students to divulge details about when their residency in the county and the state began, where in the state they reside, and their most recent state or country of residence prior to moving to Arizona.
MCCCD has since revised the form to make those disclosures optional, and directed the student journalists to contact the administrators at Mesa Community College for further questions about it.
Mesa Community College officials advisedThe Mesa Legend that the citizenship disclosure doesn’t factor into determinations of whether a student receives in-state tuition.
Citizenship isn’t a requirement for in-state tuition in Arizona — though that could change, depending on the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against the state in August.
Arizona voters approved in-state tuition and state-funded financial aid for noncitizens in 2022 through Proposition 308. The proposition came before voters through a Democratic-led effort helped along by several Republican state lawmakers, all of whom have since left the legislature.
The DOJ argued in its filing that the law illegally favors illegal aliens over U.S. citizens, and that federal law preempts such treatment.
“Arizona law rewards an illegal alien with eligibility for in-state tuition, based on residency within Arizona, while explicitly denying eligibility for resident tuition rates to U.S. citizens who are not Arizona residents,” stated the complaint.
The DOJ estimated that the total cost of attendance for noncitizen students represented more than $10 million in reduced tuition. The agency also sued New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington for granting similar financial incentives to noncitizens not available to citizens.
Attorney General Kris Mayes has fought against the lawsuit. Mayes previously stated through a spokesman that the DOJ’s interpretation of the law was flawed. The case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
“Proposition 308, as written and approved by Arizona voters, doesn’t condition eligibility on residence, which is what the government alleges,” stated Mayes’ office. “It conditions eligibility on whether a student attended and graduated from an Arizona high school (or homeschool equivalent). That’s the standard the voters wrote into law — tied to where a student attended school and where they graduated, not their residency.”
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Arizona House Republicans elected Speaker Steve Montenegro as their next minority leader Friday, selecting Rep. Michael Carbone as assistant minority leader and Rep. Lupe Diaz as minority whip as Democrats prepare to take control of the chamber in January.
Montenegro currently serves as House speaker, while Carbone serves as majority leader.
“Our role in the House is changing, but our principles and our responsibility to Arizona families are not,” Montenegro said. “Our vision for Arizona has always been grounded in three commitments: preserving the American Dream, promoting public safety, and protecting individual rights and liberties. Those principles shaped how we led in the majority, and they will continue to guide our work in the upcoming session.”
Arizona House Republicans have elected their leadership team for the 2027 legislative session.
Speaker Steve Montenegro will serve as Minority Leader.
Representative Michael Carbone as Assistant Minority Leader.
The caucus identified tax relief, school choice, educational accountability, and public safety as priorities for the upcoming session. Montenegro said Republicans would review Democratic proposals and their costs while continuing to introduce legislation addressing affordability, education, and community safety. He also said Republicans would work with the incoming majority when opportunities aligned with the state’s interests.
“Democrats will control the House agenda,” Montenegro added, “but they will also have to answer for the decisions they make. We will scrutinize their proposals, demand answers about their costs, and make sure Arizonans understand how those decisions will affect their lives. If the new majority wants to raise taxes, restrict parents’ choices, weaken public safety, or undo reforms that have made Arizona stronger, they should expect a fight. And when there are opportunities to work together in the best interests of our state, we will.”
Montenegro represents Legislative District 29, Carbone represents District 25, and Diaz represents District 19.
The leadership election follows a shift in legislative control. Unofficial results put Democrats on track for a 37–23 House majority and a 20–10 Senate majority.
House Democrats selected Rep. Oscar De Los Santos (D-LD11) as their nominee for speaker and Rep. Nancy Gutierrez (D-LD18) as majority leader. Reps. Brian Garcia (D-LD8) and Kevin Volk (D-LD17) were selected as majority whips, with Rep. Quantá Crews (D-LD26) chosen for speaker pro tempore. Senate Democrats selected Sen. Priya Sundareshan (D-LD18) to lead their incoming majority as Senate president.
Education policy is among the issues the incoming leaders have identified for the next session. Gutierrez wants lawmakers to consider changes to the Empowerment Scholarship Account program similar to Proposition 212, an initiative that failed to qualify for the ballot. That proposal included a household income cap and restrictions on eligible expenses.
Montenegro told reporters that protecting parental choice would remain a Republican priority as Democrats pursue changes to the program.
Carbone’s legislative work has included property tax relief for disabled veterans. He sponsored the House version of legislation granting full primary-residence property tax exemptions to veterans with a 100% service-connected disability. The legislation received bipartisan support and was signed into law earlier this year.
The U.S. economy added 165,000 jobs in October, significantly exceeding economists’ expectations, while Arizona reported a slight decline in payroll employment and an unemployment rate above the national average, according to the latest employment figures released by the Joint Economic Committee (JEC).
The JEC’s November 6 Monthly Employment Update reported that nationwide non-farm payroll employment increased by 165,000 in October, surpassing economists’ projections of approximately 59,000 jobs.
The gains included 159,000 private-sector jobs and 6,000 government positions, bringing total non-farm payroll employment to approximately 159.29 million.
The national unemployment rate declined slightly from 4.2% in September to 4.1% in October, while the labor force participation rate increased from 61.8% to 61.9%.
However, the broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes individuals working part-time for economic reasons and certain workers marginally attached to the labor force, increased by 0.3 percentage points to 7.9%.
In October, jobs increased by 165,000 jobs (+159K private sector, +6K government), blowing past expectations of 59,000. At the same time, the unemployment rate ticked down slightly from 4.2percent to 4.1 percent, while the labor force participation rate ticked up by 0.1…
— Joint Economic Committee Republicans (@JECRepublicans) November 6, 2026
The latest report also included upward revisions to employment figures from the previous two months. September’s payroll gains were revised upward by 31,000, from an initially reported 29,000 to 60,000 jobs, while August’s figures were revised upward by 53,000 from the previously reported 133,00 to 186,000 jobs.
Professional and business services led national employment growth in October, adding 70,000 jobs, followed by private education and health services, which added 53,000 positions. Meanwhile, leisure and hospitality lost 13,000 jobs, and construction employment declined by 3,000.
Over the past 12 months, private education and health services recorded the largest employment gains nationwide, adding 525,000 jobs, followed by professional and business services with 269,000 additional positions. The information and financial activities sectors experienced the largest declines, losing 119,000 and 99,000 jobs, respectively.
Wage growth also continued over the past year. Average nominal weekly earnings for private-sector employees increased by 3.72%, while average hourly earnings rose by 3.12%. For production and nonsupervisory employees, weekly earnings increased by 3.62%, and hourly earnings grew by 3.31%.
Despite the stronger national employment figures, Arizona’s latest available state-level data reflected mixed employment trends.
According to the JEC’s September state employment snapshot, Arizona lost 300 net payroll jobs during the month, following a loss of 5,500 jobs in August.
The state’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.9%, above the national rate of 4.2% recorded during the same month.
Arizona’s private sector lost 2,800 jobs in September, following a decline of 4,500 positions in August. However, the state added 18,800 total non-farm payroll jobs over the previous 12 months, including 23,400 private-sector positions.
The state’s unemployment rate increased by 0.5 percentage points over the past year, rising from 4.4% in September 2025 to 4.9% in September 2026.
Arizona also experienced a decline in labor force participation, with the rate falling from 59.9% in August to 59.7% in September. The figure ranked Arizona 37th nationally and represented a 2.4-percentage-point decline over the previous year.
The September participation rate also marked the state’s lowest level in the past decade, according to the JEC, compared to a 10-year high of 62.2% recorded in November 2019.
State and local government employment accounted for Arizona’s largest monthly sector gain in September, adding 2,600 jobs, followed by other services with 600 additional positions. Professional and business services experienced the largest decline, losing 1,600 jobs, while private education and health services shed 1,300 positions.
Over the past year, Arizona’s private education and health services sector added 14,700 jobs, followed by professional and business services with 7,800 positions. Leisure and hospitality recorded the largest annual decline, losing 8,800 jobs, while financial activities lost 6,700 positions.
Arizona tied for 21st nationally in percentage growth of total non-farm payroll employment over the previous 12 months and tied for 19th in private-sector payroll employment growth.
Separately, the JEC’s latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed that nationwide job openings increased by 333,000 in September to 7.52 million, while the job openings rate rose to 4.5%.
Total hires increased by 131,000 to 5.40 million, while separations rose by 144,000 to 5.32 million. Although voluntary quits increased by 321,000 to 3.37 million, layoffs and discharges declined by 127,000 to 1.64 million.
The latest figures highlight a contrast between stronger-than-expected national job creation in October and Arizona’s maker employment performance in September, as the state continues to face declining labor force participation and an unemployment rate above the national average.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
