Democratic congressional candidate and former state senator Kirsten Engel declared on Wednesday that there isn’t a border crisis.
Arizona Horizon host Ted Simons asked Engel during an election debate whether she agreed that the current state of the border constituted a crisis. Engel said she didn’t, adding that additional borders security wasn’t the solution.
“No. It does need help at the border. We do — Washington, I would say, has failed us. It’s not just this administration. It’s the past administration. We do need help at our border. We do need to secure our border. We have issues of drug trafficking and human smuggling that need to be addressed, but certainly not walls. I mean walls are a 13th century solution to a 21st century problem.
Engel, who resigned from the state senate last September, insinuated that turning away illegal immigrants was the real crisis.
“I mean, let’s look at what’s going on here. We have people, migrants, coming who want to make a home in our country. You know, these people are like our ancestors coming here. That is — that’s the crisis. That’s a humanitarian crisis,” said Engel. “What we need from Washington is having an orderly asylum process. That’s national law, that’s international law. We need comprehensive immigration reform. We have to help our Dreamers.”
WHOA: Democrat candidate Kirsten Engel, who’s running in a swing border district, denied the border crisis exists in a debate last night.
Simons: “Does Arizona have an immigration crisis?” Engel: “No.”
The debate also featured Engel’s Democratic opponent, State Representative Daniel Hernández Jr. (D-Tucson), who disagreed with Engel. He said that a wall wasn’t enough, pointing out the need for more security technology like drones.
“We are seeing that people don’t feel safe where they’re living, even though we are saying that this is an issue that has gone time after time,” said Hernández. “To say there is no crisis is wrong.”
Engel agreed that a federal presence was necessary at the border, as well as more technology, but emphasized her opposition to a border wall.
“Walls are not going to do it, and neither are photo ops,” said Engel. “It’s not all drug smugglers. It’s families with little kids.”
Hernández said that his perspective on rescinding Title 42 reflected that of Democratic Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema: the policy should be removed, but there should be a plan ready to fill the void left behind.
“These are people coming here trying to get a better life, so we should treat them humanely with dignity, but make sure we have a plan to actually address [them],” said Hernández.
Engel agreed, calling Title 42 a “stop-gap solution.” She pointed out that about half of the people returned to Mexico under Title 42 ended up reentering the country, citing that as a failure of the policy. Like Hernández, Engel said she wanted to see a plan first before rescinding the policy.
“There’s no adjudication of their claim,” said Engel. “Title 42 is not the answer.”
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04) signed onto a bill allowing victims of illegal immigrant criminals to sue the relevant state or local jurisdictions that adopted “sanctuary” practices. At the time of this report, Gosar was the only one of Arizona’s congressmen to cosponsor the bill. A total of 26 representatives nationwide have cosponsored the legislation.
According to data from the Center for Immigration Studies, Arizona doesn’t have any counties or cities with sanctuary practices: those policies, laws, ordinances, regulations, or resolutions preventing enforcement of federal immigration law by refusing cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Phoenix almost became a sanctuary city in 2017, but their city council voted against it. Then in 2019, Tucson voters rejected a sanctuary city proposal outlined in Proposition 205. Months before the COVID-19 outbreak, Governor Doug Ducey requested the legislature introduce a constitutional amendment to outlaw sanctuary practices statewide. That legislation never came to fruition.
The bill in question — HR515, the “Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act of 2021” — was introduced by Congressman Ted Budd (R-NC-13) in early January of last year. The bill was referred to the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship last March. Since then, it hasn’t moved.
HR 515- Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act, would allow victims of illegal alien crimes to sue sanctuary cities. This would hold them accountable.
Areas in red are where the Congressman is cosponsoring. If you have a GOP Rep and they're not in red, call them! pic.twitter.com/vxwbvaesy5
— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) May 16, 2022
Gosar urged fellow Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) to cosponsor the bill as well. He retweeted a post urging Lesko to take action.
— Sun Belt Politics (@SunBeltPolitics) May 17, 2022
Certain state level efforts to mitigate crimes committed by illegal immigrants haven’t moved either. State Representative John Kavanagh’s bill to require the publication of illegal immigrant mugshots and information, HB2326, hasn’t advanced the Senate since it was passed in the House in February.
Over 100 cities and counties qualify as sanctuary areas. 11 states adopted sanctuary practices: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
A nonprofit promised an entire grade of elementary school students free college tuition should they graduate from high school. Not only will the tuition be covered: books as well as room and board will be covered as well.
The 63 third graders attend Phoenix’s Bernard Black Elementary School in Roosevelt School District No. 66. A nonprofit in Avondale, the Rosztoczy Foundation, raised the funds through their College Promise program. The foundation has also provided scholarships for Hungarian students to research with U.S. college professors.
The students must graduate from their elementary school, then graduate from a school within the Phoenix Union High School District. The students may apply their tuition at any one of Arizona’s state universities or community colleges. They also have the option to attend a private or public post-secondary institution outside of Arizona, with the possibility of receiving funding up to the maximum available to students attending comparable in-state universities or community colleges.
While in college, the student must maintain a 2.0 GPA to continue receiving the scholarship. They must also be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester, with regular progress toward a degree. The scholarship may only apply for four consecutive years. If the student finishes their undergraduate before four years are up, they may apply the remaining scholarship toward their graduate school fees and costs.
The third graders were surprised with the news at an assembly at the end of April.
This isn’t the first time that the Rosztoczy Foundation has done this: in 2012, they awarded about 80 third graders in the Michael Anderson School within the Avondale Elementary District with the same scholarship. They would have graduated high school last year, and those enrolled in college will be completing their freshman year this month.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Democratic leaders liked a tweet describing the assault on a supporter of former President Donald Trump. Specifically, two state legislators, one county election official, two high-level state employees, and three Democratic Party leaders of various levels.
The Democratic legislators supported the violence-glorifying tweet from the same Planned Parenthood leader, Chris Love, who called for people to “break s**t” in response to the Supreme Court’s refusal to stop Texas’ abortion ban. Love tweeted to express her pleasure over her husband assaulting a Trump supporter last weekend during a pro-abortion rally.
“My husband @MiQL got lost in the crowd and I had to send folks to find him. Instead of hanging in the tented area with the cool kids, he was organizing folks,” wrote Love. “He also body checked some dude in a ‘Blacks for Trump’ shirt. Swoon!”
The tweet and Democrats’ support occurred several days before they would demand the censure and expulsion of State Senator Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff) for alleging in since-deleted social media posts that federal agents were behind the Buffalo mass shooting.
“Fed boy summer has started in Buffalo,” wrote Rogers.
One of the Democratic legislators that liked Love’s tweet celebrating assault was State Senator Juan Mendez (D-Tempe), who’s been absent for a vast majority of the legislative session on excused absence. As AZ Free News reported earlier this week, State Senator T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge) requested an ethics investigation into Mendez’s absence.
State Representative Mitzi Epstein (D-Chandler) also liked the controversial tweet. Additionally, Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly showed her support for Love’s celebration of the assault.
The two state employees that liked the tweet were Allie Bones, assistant secretary of state to Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, and Tyler Kowch, constituent services manager at the Arizona Department of Education.
One of the more prominent Democratic Party leaders that liked Love’s tweet was Priya Sundareshan: state senate candidate for district 18, election integrity staffer with the Arizona Democratic Party, chairwoman of Asian American Pacific Islander Democrats in Arizona, and director of University of Arizona (UArizona) Natural Resource Use and Management Clinic.
The other two Democratic Party leaders to like the tweet were Missa Foy, chairwoman of Navajo County Democrats, and Judy Stahl, former congressional candidate and Democratic Women of the Prescott Area Chair.
Others who liked the tweet were those within academia and activist organizations.
There was Will Knight, former Maricopa County attorney candidate and Arizona State University (ASU) Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law adjunct professor; Rebecca Garelli, Red for Ed organizer with Arizona Educators United; Dr. Dawn Penich-Thacker, co-founder of Save Our Schools Arizona; and Bridget Sharpe, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Arizona State Director.
Republican National Committee (RNC) leader Tyler Bowyer pointed out the Democratic state legislators’ support of social media posts endorsing violence, wondering why mainstream media hadn’t covered it initially.
Wow— so this violent tweet from the Planned Parenthood Board Chair calling for destroying property was liked and retweeted by sitting elected officials, including the AZ Dem Chair, candidates for Statewide and Federal Office. Why aren’t we seeing this radical stuff on @azcentral? https://t.co/R6LfSCXzA6pic.twitter.com/EjeYwgmelU
Bowyer predicted to conservative radio host James T. Harris on the “Conservative Circus” that the mainstream media’s lack of equal treatment when covering Democrats would lead to further divisiveness in the state and country.
“We’re really playing with fire here. We don’t have a community today where we can allow Democrats just to hijack our communities, incite violence, and get away with it,” said Bowers. “This is the reason why nobody trusts the media anymore. People will figure this out, they will talk, there will be an uproar of good, normal people once they find this stuff out, and people will start turning on our local media.”
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
A little but major piece of Arizona was planted recently in the downtown of California’s largest city. Arizona State University (ASU) expanded their operations to include a Los Angeles campus last fall through their ASU Local initiative. The new campus offers a hybrid of online and in-person learning.
ASU President Michael Crowe explained to the Los Angeles Times that the number of those rejected from University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) drove the decision to establish ASU in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Times partnered with ASU to offer 20 self-paced online courses; subscribers have the added perk of 25 percent off other online courses.
The satellite campus moved into the historic building that once housed the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. ASU celebrated the launch with a tour of the facilities last August. The well over 87,000 square feet making up the satellite campus, dubbed the latest “ASU California Center,” cost $40 million to renovate. Construction began in September 2020, ending just ahead of the open house last August.
ASU's California Center opened its doors in 2021, bringing new possibilities to local learners as ASU Local's newest college experience. Read more about these programs in the latest edition of #ASUThrive magazine, in mailboxes now.
ASU California Center students receive a 20 percent discount on the online, nonresident tuition, which can range from $13,000 to $16,000 annually. Efforts to establish this Los Angeles location launched officially in 2019.
ASU Local also has locations in Washington, D.C. and Yuma. Like the newly-established Los Angeles campus, the D.C. campus was settled in a historic building that came with a similar price tag: $35 million.
ASU began expanding into California over a decade ago. In 2013, ASU announced its other ASU California Center in Santa Monica. They have also accrued partnerships with 116 California community colleges to ensure students advance to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Whether Arizonans will be able to receive assistance registering to vote while applying for a state fishing, hunting, or trapping license is now up to the Arizona Senate.
On Tuesday, the state House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 1170 by an overwhelming bipartisan 42 to 9 margin, with 9 representatives not voting. The bill requires the Arizona Game and Fish Department to assist with voter registration when accepting license applications, with the goal of allowing Arizonans the ability to update their voter registration or register to vote when they apply for AZGFD tags.
But getting the legislation to Gov. Doug Ducey’s desk will first require a vote by the state Senate.
Rep. David Cook (R-Globe) noted while voting in favor of SB1170 that the Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles already assists voters to register to vote. The same convenient, non-party affiliated option should be available for those seeking AZGFD licenses.
Cook’s comments came after Minority Leader Reginald Bolding Jr. spoke against SB1170, which he said is “singling out” AZGFD over other state agencies. Bolding (D-Laveen) claimed lawmakers have “spent a number of hours and resources” this session to make it more difficult for some departments to register individuals to vote, but SB1170 targets “a specific type” of individual with help in registering to vote.
Also speaking—and voting—against SB1170 was Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley, who has voted against several election integrity bills this session.
“It seems to me that this distributed process would add a lot of potentially untrained people registering people,” Powers Hanley (D-Tucson) stated in explaining her no vote. “There would be a lot of paper forms out there in multiple locations where they sell these permits, and I think that adding more people and more locations adds more risks for fraud in the future.”
If SB1170 is signed into law, it formally repeals similar AZGFD voter assistance language added to state law last year before the Arizona Supreme Court struck down the budget bill the language was included in. The new language includes two options for voter assistance, the first involving the AZGFD website.
If an Arizonan applies online for a fishing, hunting, or trapping license they would see a link to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s voter registration webpage. On the other hand, those applying for a license at a AZGFD office would be offered a paper voter registration form.
Those forms would come from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, which is exactly where the completed forms are to be returned. From there, the AZSOS would forward any forms to the appropriate county recorder to determine voter eligibility.
As to the question of whether state agencies should be involved in voter registration efforts, House Speaker Rusty Bowers told the chamber during Tuesday’s vote about recently receiving a letter from Arizona Health Care Cost Containment Systems (AHCCCS) in regard to his daughter who died last year.
With the letter was a voter registration form as a courtesy, said Bowers (R-Mesa).
SB1170 is a way to increase the number of people registering to vote while ensuring they “do it right,” Bowers added, and “is right in line” with efforts to ensure election integrity. Having a state agency involved in promoting voter registration “is totally appropriate,” he said.
