by Matthew Holloway | Mar 22, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Arizona Senate approved a package of border security legislation that would direct $40 million toward detention reimbursements, supplemental fencing, and expanded use of aerial surveillance technology.
The bills passed were SB 1156, SB 1157, and SB 1457, and they now move to the House for further consideration.
SB 1156, sponsored by Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-LD7), would appropriate $20 million to reimburse cities, towns, and counties for costs associated with short-term detention holds for individuals unlawfully present in the United States.
“For years, Arizona has been dealing with the consequences of a border crisis created by the Biden administration,” Rogers said in a statement. “Now that President Trump has restored order and delivered the most secure border in modern history, we need to make sure our state is doing its part to support that progress. This funding helps local law enforcement manage detention responsibilities and ensures we are not backsliding.”
SB 1157 would provide $20 million to support the construction of supplemental fencing and barriers in high-crossing areas along Arizona’s southern border, according to the Senate Republican Caucus. It was also sponsored by Rogers.
“We know strong physical barriers work because we have seen it firsthand,” Rogers said. “President Trump proved that when you take border security seriously, crossings drop. Arizona is reinforcing that progress by investing in the areas where crossings have historically been the highest.”
SB 1457, sponsored by Sen. David Farnsworth (R-LD10), would expand the use of the state’s Advanced Air Mobility Fund to include border security operations, allowing for the purchase of aerial technology and the development of infrastructure to support surveillance and response efforts, with priority given to border counties.
“Maintaining a secure border takes more than policy, it takes the right tools in the field,” Farnsworth said. “This legislation supports law enforcement with advanced technology so they can respond in real time and keep Arizona communities safe.”
According to the caucus, the measures are intended to support local law enforcement, strengthen infrastructure at high-traffic crossings, and expand the tools available for border security operations.
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.
by Ethan Faverino | Mar 3, 2026 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Yuma Sector Border Patrol Agents have arrested a cartel smuggling scout operating in the remote Sierra Pinta Mountains. The apprehension, resulting from an ongoing investigation by the Yuma Sector Targeting and Intelligence Division, disrupts cartel reconnaissance efforts that facilitate the illegal movement of aliens through the Wellton Station Area.
Cartel scouts position themselves at high vantage points in the rugged mountain terrain to monitor law enforcement activities, including the movement of Border Patrol agents and Air and Marine Operations assets.
By maintaining extended surveillance—often living in the mountains for days—these scouts enable smuggling organizations to evade detection and coordinate illegal crossings.
During the operation, agents located the suspect at a scouting site equipped for prolonged missions. A search revealed food supplies, sustainment gear, and a solar panel used to power batteries for surveillance and communications equipment.
Acting Chief Patrol Agent Dustin Caudle stated, “The arrest of this dangerous smuggler is a perfect example of a unified border enforcement team working together to achieve a successful law enforcement outcome. These ruthless transnational criminal organizations have no regard for human life, and the dismantling of these cartel networks ensures a secure border that increases the safety of agents and our communities.”
The subject, who has two prior expulsions under Title 42, was transported to Wellton Station for processing and record checks. The individual will face prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona and eventual removal proceedings.
The Yuma Sector intends to pursue sentencing enhancements related to scouting activities in support of transnational criminal organizations. The subject is being charged with illegal entry under 8 U.S.C. § 1325, with potential enhancements for scouting at sentencing.
The Yuma Border Patrol Sector Prosecutions Unit collaborates closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to seek the maximum application for offenses involving transporting and harboring illegal aliens in the United States.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Feb 10, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Another illegal alien who entered the country under President Joe Biden has taken lives.
30-year-old Bekzhan Beishekeev, a Kyrgyzstani national, killed four Amish men when he drove the wrong way into oncoming traffic in Indiana on Tuesday. The victims were identified as Henry Eicher, 50 and his sons Menno, 25, and Paul, 19; and Simon Girod, 23.
The driver of the struck vehicle, 55-year-old Donald Stipp, remains in the hospital. Stipp’s daughter-in-law launched a GoFundMe to cover Stipp’s medical expenses and recovery.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed reports that Beishekeev entered the U.S. illegally in December 2023 at the Nogales port of entry. Beishekeev used the CBP One app, which effectively allowed illegal aliens to enter the country and work for two years without vetting.
As with millions of others before him, the Biden administration exercised their “catch-and-release” policy on Beishekeev, freeing him on parole.
The White House issued a statement calling the deaths a “preventable tragedy” that illustrated the need to continue mass deportations and end sanctuary city policies.
The Trump administration revoked legal status for illegal aliens who relied on the CBP One app to delay their immigration proceedings. Over 900,000 illegal aliens entered the country using the app.
The state of Pennsylvania awarded Beishekeev a non-domiciled CDL last July, with an expiration date of June 2029. Beishekeev’s license reflected a home address in Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro declined to directly address the incident.
A spokesperson for Shapiro said that Beishekeev provided proof of identity and legal presence verified by the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database, as per Pennsylvania law. Shapiro’s office said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was to blame for not catching Beishekeev’s legal status upon assuming the agency.
“The individual in question had legal status in Kristi Noem’s database when the license was issued in July 2025 and still shows as eligible to receive a license as of today,” said Shapiro spokesman Alex Peterson. “Kristi Noem should focus on minding the shop in her own agency, as her incompetence and operational failures seem to be matching the scale of her moral failures as the Secretary of Homeland Security.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded that Shapiro’s administration bore responsibility for granting CDLs to CBP One parolees.
“Not only was Bekzhan Beishekeev released into our country by the Biden administration using the CBP One app, but he was also given a commercial driver’s license by Governor Shapiro’s Pennsylvania,” said McLaughlin. “It is incredibly dangerous for illegal aliens, who often don’t know our traffic laws or even English, to be operating semi-trucks on America’s roads. These sanctuary governors must stop giving illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses before another American gets killed.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said the blame was with Democratic leaders rejecting immigration law.
“Hoosiers should be able to get to work in the morning without fear of needlessly losing their lives because of Democrats’ refusal to enforce the law,” said Braun. “With open and unchecked borders, millions of illegal immigrants flooded our communities, making every state a border state. Complicit democrats have put our safety at risk—and that has come at the price of innocent lives.”
Per reporting from Freight Waves, Beishekeev drove for a “chameleon carrier network” with officers bearing Kyrgyzstani names.
Chameleon carrier networks operate as separate-on-paper using different Department of Transportation (DOT) vehicle identification numbers, yet they rely on the same drivers, equipment, and management so as to continue operations when one or more within their network gets shut down.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Jan 10, 2026 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Protection (CBP) announced that border security metrics have reached new highs in effectiveness, marked by declining encounters, zero releases of apprehended individuals, surging drug seizures, dramatic reductions in Arizona crossings, and major investments in advanced border infrastructure.
Preliminary CBP data for November 2025 showed total nationwide encounters dropping to 30,367—lower than October’s historic low of 30,573—and marked the seventh consecutive month of zero releases into the United States. Every individual that was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) was processed according to law, a milestone described as unmatched in modern border history.
“Once again, we have a record low number of encounters at the border and the 7th straight month of zero releases. Month after month, we are delivering results that were once thought impossible: the most secure border in history and unmatched enforcement successes,” said Secretary Kristi Noem. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the dedication of DHS law enforcement, America’s borders are safer than ever before.”
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott added, “Our focus is unwavering: secure the border, enforce the law, and protect this nation. These numbers reflect the tireless efforts of our agents and officers who are delivering results that redefine border security. We’re not slowing down. We’re setting the pace for the future.”
Key highlights from the data include:
- The lowest start to any fiscal year on record, with only 60,940 total nationwide encounters in October and November—28% below the previous low of 84,293 in FY2012.
- From January 21 through November, total enforcement encounters along the southwest border stood at 117,105—37% less than the Biden administration’s monthly average of 185,625.
- USBP nationwide apprehensions have averaged under 10,000 per month since President Trump took office.
- Southwest border daily average apprehensions fell to 245 per day—a 95% reduction from the prior administration’s average of 5,110 per day.
Drug interdiction efforts also intensified, with nationwide seizures totaling 54,947 pounds in November—a 33% increase from October. Fentanyl seizures rose 59% to 1,543 pounds, methamphetamine seizures surged 118% to 21,935 pounds, and cocaine seizures increased 40% to 8,420 pounds.
In Arizona, illegal border crossings have plummeted under the current administration. FY2025 saw 63,813 apprehensions, a fraction of the prior years’ totals: 564,215 in FY24, 576,901 in FY23, and 571,720 in FY22.
This represents an approximate reduction of 92% from illegal entries and gotaways during the Biden administration, with FY25 apprehensions 66% lower than those in the Biden era.
To further fortify these gains, DHS and CBP announced five new contracts totaling $3.3 billion for “Smart Wall” construction in Texas and Arizona, bringing the total Smart Wall contracts to $8 billion.
The contracts, issued in November and December 2025, will add 97 miles of primary border wall, 19 miles of secondary wall, 66 miles of waterborne barrier system, and extensive detection technology (including 149 miles in areas with existing barriers).
The Tucson 2 Wall Project will construct approximately 19 miles of primary and secondary wall plus 136 miles of detection technology in Arizona’s Tucson sector.
“Securing our border is key to protecting our country, keeping our communities safe, and making sure our immigration system works the way it should, said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. “A border wall with the right technology—a Smart Wall—is an important tool to stop illegal activity and to help agents do their job, which is critical in keeping America safe.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Jan 4, 2026 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
U.S. Representatives Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) and Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) have reintroduced H.R. 6374, landmark legislation that would impose a complete 10-year moratorium on all immigration into the United States.
The bill, titled simply as a measure “to prohibit the admission of aliens to the United States for 10 years, and for other purposes,” would halt all new admissions of foreign nationals beginning on the date of enactment and continuing for a full decade.
In a joint announcement, the Arizona lawmakers cited the ongoing border crisis, overwhelming immigration systems, national-security vulnerabilities, and recent deadly incidents involving individuals who entered the country under prior policies as urgent reasons for the drastic pause.
Rep. Gosar issued the following statement:
“[The] tragic shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., within a few feet of the White House on Thanksgiving eve by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal is a sad reminder of Joe Biden’s reckless and unchecked open-border policies. Our immigration system is overwhelmed and unmanageable, thanks in large part to the previous administration’s open border policies, poorly vetted asylum claims, and visa overstays. We cannot maintain a lawful immigration process when we cannot control our borders or account for who is entering our country.
Fraudulent asylum claims, illicit trafficking, and insufficient vetting present real threats to our national security, our economy, and our citizens. Adversaries are exploiting these failures. Americans are being murdered. Meanwhile, schools, hospitals, law enforcement, and local governments—especially in border states like Arizona—are stretched to their limits.
Immigration must be legal, orderly, and in the national interest. Every nation has the right and responsibility to secure its borders and protect its people. I’m proud to join my friend and colleague Representative Eli Crane in reintroducing this legislation, which imposes a 10-year moratorium on all immigration until our system is restored, our borders are secured, and future immigration can occur safely and in a way that strengthens our country.”
Rep. Crane added:
“One of our most important responsibilities as representatives is to protect the citizens of our great nation. Due to the premeditated border invasion under the Biden administration, Americans have faced devastating consequences. I’m proud to join Rep. Paul Gosar in introducing this sensible legislation to restore stability and help reestablish security within our borders.”
The legislation is straightforward: for ten years following enactment, no alien may be admitted to the United States under any category or program. Supporters argue the pause is necessary to allow Congress and federal agencies to fix vetting procedures, close legal loopholes, deport criminal aliens, and restore operational control of the southern and northern borders.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
