by Daniel Stefanski | May 29, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Fears of terrorists and other dangerous individuals crossing the border are driving Arizona legislative Republicans to take action on the southern border crisis.
Over the weekend, Senator David Gowan issued a statement over the border crisis and his Caucus’ efforts to send a border-related measure to Arizona voters for the November General Election. He specifically focused on the ongoing apprehensions of suspected terrorists at the border, writing, “Democrats touting dangerous and misleading rhetoric about the Secure the Border Act, as well as the border crisis as a whole, is reckless for many reasons. They would like citizens to believe the only people entering our country are innocent asylum seekers. However, the data coming from federal agencies, such as the FBI and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as well as our state law enforcement, consistently tells us otherwise. These agencies have been warning us of the increase in terrorists entering our country illegally and the threat they pose to the safety of America.”
The southern Arizona Republican senator added, “According to the most recent federal data, the number of suspected terrorists who’ve entered our country illegally has spiked over 2,500% during the Biden Administration. Border Patrol agents have apprehended nearly 400 illegal aliens between fiscal years 2021 and 2024 whose names appeared on the terror watch list. This includes Afghan, Pakistani, and Chinese nationals, among many others. Our country is in danger, and we are in dire need of securing our border!”
Earlier this month, the Arizona Senate Republicans Caucus’ “X” account shared a video with statements from Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and National Border Patrol Council Vice President Art Del Cueto, highlighting the dangers of the increasing number of ‘gotaways’ who have eluded law enforcement at the border. Many of these individuals are entering the United States through the Tucson Sector of the border, which covers a vast stretch of southern Arizona.
A recent Freedom of Information Act request from Fox News revealed that “between FY 2010 and FY 2020 inclusive, there were over 1.4 million gotaways, ranging from a low of 86,226 in FY 2011 to a high of 171,663 in FY 2013.”
There have been at least 1.8 million ‘gotaways’ at the border in almost four years of the Biden administration (FY 21-24).
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, who successfully ushered the Secure the Border Act through his chamber this past week, released a statement on the urgent need for voters to be able to consider this measure and state Democrats’ opposition to commonsense border solutions to protect communities. Petersen said, “The Governor’s reckless disregard for the safety and well-being of our citizens during this open border crisis our state is currently enduring at the hands of Joe Biden has left us no other option than to send the Secure the Border Act to the ballot. She’s blocked numerous attempts by Republican lawmakers to pass legislation addressing this issue, so we want to empower Arizonans to take matters into their own hands to protect their communities and support our law enforcement.”
The Republican Senate President added, “I’m pleased to report this critical measure, also known as HCR 2060, passed the Senate this week and now heads to the House for a final vote before appearing on the November ballot. Sadly, all Senate Democrats voted against the measure. Illegal immigration cost Arizona taxpayers more than $3 billion dollars last year. We’re confident we can offset future losses, reduce crime, and save lives with HCR 2060.”
Now that HCR 2060 has been passed by the Arizona Senate, it will now be considered by the Arizona House of Representatives. This chamber, which is led by Speaker Ben Toma, is expected to approve of the measure, which would send it to state voters for the November General Election.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 24, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Amid protests in the chamber, Arizona Senate Republicans passed a controversial bill to give state voters an opportunity in the November General Election to take border security into their own hands.
On Wednesday, Arizona Senate Republicans reformed the lines around an amended HCR 2060 after a one-week delay, approving the measure after a spirited debate on the floor of the chamber. The legislators weren’t the only individuals making their presence known though, as some onlookers from the gallery interrupted the legislative process to chant “Stop the Hate.”
The protestors were forced to exit the gallery because of their outbursts.
On the floor, Senate Republicans rounded up all 16 votes to give a green light to the border-related measure. Thirteen Democrats voted against it, while one member did not vote.
“The Governor’s reckless disregard for the safety and well-being of our citizens has left us no other option than to send the Secure the Border Act to the ballot to empower Arizonans to take matters into their own hands,” said Senate President Warren Petersen.
According to Arizona Senate Republicans, the measure “would provide local, county, or state law enforcement the authority to arrest individuals who are non-U.S. citizens entering Arizona from Mexico outside of a lawful port of entry.” These enhanced tools for local law enforcement to protect their communities would go into effect only if the federal courts allow a similar policy (SB 4) in the State of Texas and if Arizona voters approve this measure in November. There are additional provisions in HCR 2060 that are not tied to the legal wrangling over SB 4.
The Arizona Senate Democrats’ Caucus “X” account expressed the sentiments of its members, writing, “Today has shown once again that the Republican majority at the legislature has failed Arizona. They rushed through another ballot referral, HCR 2060, that could easily lead to racial profiling across this state, it will give law enforcement unlimited state immunity, and cost taxpayer money to fight in court.”
Arizona Republicans were again clear about the urgent need for state officials to act on the border to protect innocent families. In the press release announcing the result of the vote on HCR 2060, Republicans shared information about the skyrocketing number of suspected terrorists entering the United States over the past four years – “more than 2500%” or 367 individuals.
The Senate Republicans’ “X” account noted that Democrats had voted against “protecting our citizens from border related crimes, providing law enforcement with tools to keep our communities safe, preventing known terrorists from entering Arizona, tougher punishments for criminals trafficking deadly fentanyl across the border, and preventing those who enter Arizona illegally from benefiting from your hard-earned taxpayer dollars and public resources meant for law-abiding citizens.”
The efforts from Arizona legislators to send this referral to state voters comes more than two months after Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed SB 1231, the Arizona Border Invasion Act, which would have “ma[de] it unlawful for a person who is an alien (unlawful immigrant) to enter Arizona from a foreign nation at any location other than a lawful port of entry and outline[d] penalties for violations of illegally entering Arizona and provide[d] immunity from civil liability and indemnification for state and local government officials, employees and contractors who enforce this prohibition” – according to the purpose from the state Senate.
In her veto letter to Senate President Warren Petersen, Hobbs said, “This bill does not secure our border, will be harmful for communities and businesses in our state, and burdensome for law enforcement personnel and the state judicial system. Further, this bill presents significant constitutional concerns and would be certain to mire the State in costly and protracted litigation.”
The Democrat governor has helped to lead the opposition against this measure since its inception a few weeks ago.
Senator Janae Shamp, the sponsor of SB 1231, pushed back on the governor’s opposition, saying, “The people of Arizona have had enough with Democrats turning a blind eye to the border invasion. The chaos Governor Hobbs and Democrat lawmakers are perpetuating from Biden’s open border fiasco needs to stop, and I’m confident it will, when voters make their voices heard in November.”
To ensure that all sixteen Republicans stayed together on final passage of HCR 2060, an amendment was introduced and passed on the Senate floor ahead of the vote to send the measure to the Arizona House. The amendment, in part, “specifie[d] that being a DACA recipient is not an affirmative defense to illegal entry if the program is cancelled or a federal court has issued a final order determining that the program is unlawful, and any appeals of the final order have been exhausted.”
Before the vote on the amended version, Senate Democrats attempted to preempt the Republicans’ efforts to clarify certain provisions of the measure. The Caucus’ “X” account stated that HCR 2060’s “current form is an unfunded mandate that will give near-unlimited immunity for ANY law enforcement officer across the state to arrest someone they suspect has entered the country illegally.”
HCR 2060 now heads to the Arizona House of Representatives, where it is expected to receive expedited consideration from Speaker Ben Toma, who is the sponsor of its original form.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 13, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Republicans and Democrats stepped up their messaging war after a legislative effort to launch a border-related ballot referral commenced in the state Senate.
On Wednesday, the Arizona Senate Committee on Military Affairs, Public Safety and Border Security held a hearing to consider HCR 2060, the newly amended ballot referral from Republicans to deal with the border crisis affecting the state.
Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, took a proactive approach to opposing the legislative effort, issuing a statement to adamantly express her disdain for the referral. She wrote, “Passing a job-killing, anti-business initiative that demonizes our communities is not the solution to our border crisis. The bill I vetoed earlier this year lacked support from businesses, farmers, and law enforcement in border communities. This ballot initiative won’t secure our border. Instead, it will put Arizona entrepreneurs out of business, kill jobs and prevent law enforcement from keeping our communities safe. Arizona should not pay the price for the federal government’s inaction.”
Republican leaders in the Arizona Legislature were quick to respond to Hobbs’ statement against their bill. Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, the sponsor of the referral, said, “Of course, Governor Hobbs and Demcorats like her and President Biden always oppose real effort to enforce America’s border and protect its citizens. Their deliberate open-border policies are disastrous and people have had enough.”
Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope added, “This is a completely illogical statement not based on any type of reality…The real question I have for Governor Hobbs is, what have you done on the border other than veto bills? The people will have the final say and THE PEOPLE want strong border security!”
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, who attended a press conference with Arizona Republicans and law enforcement on Wednesday, stated, “This afternoon I stood with Arizona House Republicans, Arizona Senate Republicans, Law Enforcement and the Border Patrol Union on the Secure the Border Act. Fentanyl is pouring across the border. It’s getting into the hands of our young people. We must work to address the Biden Border Crisis. The voters will have a chance in November to approve this referendum and send a message to Washington DC. Enough is enough!”
On the other side, legislative Democrats shared their vehement disgust for the referral. State Representative Analise Ortiz posted, “Republicans lost on abortion, now they are changing the rules to go after our immigrant community and businesses. HCR 2060’s new language is SB 1070 ‘show me your papers’ law on steroids. It’s an unconstitutional, divisive, xenophobic, election-year dog whistle.”
Democrat members of the Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus put out a joint statement in opposition to the bill. They asserted, “Voters know that our state has come far since the dark days of SB 1070. Mexico is our largest trading partner, and our economies are intrinsically connected and aligned. This measure shows that Republicans are willing to sacrifice that progress and reverse our economic growth just to divide our state and hold onto power. We cannot, and will not let hate win.”
With the amendment to the original measure, HCR 2060 was approved by the Senate committee with a partisan 4-3 vote. It will now be considered by the full Senate chamber.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 5, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizonans will likely have the opportunity to bolster their state’s protections against illegal immigration in the November 2024 election.
This week, Senate President Warren Petersen announced that Arizona legislators would soon be passing HCR 2060, the Secure the Border Act. Arizona Senate Republicans will “adopt a strike everything amendment to HCR 2060,” giving them the legislative vehicle to consider and pass the ballot referral for the November General Election.
“Arizona Democrats in power have shown us time after time, with every ‘no’ vote and veto of our border security legislation, that they are not concerned for the safety and well-being of our citizens, nor do they have any care for the wasted taxpayer dollars being used to mitigate the fallout from Biden’s border invasion,” said Senate President Warren Petersen. “Their priorities are tone deaf to the realities Arizonans are facing, and this will be confirmed when voters have the chance to take matters into their own hands this November. Republicans are committed to securing the border and returning sanity to our state after the chaos Democrats have willfully perpetuated with our current Governor leading the charge.”
According to Petersen’s press release, the ballot referral will be heard in committee this upcoming Wednesday, and it is expected on the Senate floor the following week.
The revelation of this push from Arizona legislators to send this referral to state voters comes almost two months after Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed SB 1231, the Arizona Border Invasion Act, which would have “ma[de] it unlawful for a person who is an alien (unlawful immigrant) to enter Arizona from a foreign nation at any location other than a lawful port of entry and outline[d] penalties for violations of illegally entering Arizona and provide[d] immunity from civil liability and indemnification for state and local government officials, employees and contractors who enforce this prohibition” – according to the purpose from the state Senate.
In her veto letter to Senate President Warren Petersen, Hobbs said, “This bill does not secure our border, will be harmful for communities and businesses in our state, and burdensome for law enforcement personnel and the state judicial system. Further, this bill presents significant constitutional concerns and would be certain to mire the State in costly and protracted litigation.”
Senator Janae Shamp, the sponsor of SB 1231, vowed that members of her party would continue to push forward solutions to combat the border crisis, saying, “The Republican-controlled Legislature will continue to prioritize closing our border and providing law enforcement with the tools they need. This veto is a slap in the face to them, Arizona’s victims of border-related crimes, and other citizens who will inevitably feel the wrath of this border invasion in one way, shape, or form at the hands of Hobbs and Biden.”
Earlier this spring, a group of legislative Republicans signed a letter to request that House Speaker Ben Toma and Senate President Warren Petersen “convene a special committee hearing, whereby Texas-style border security legislation can be promptly advanced and placed on the ballot.”
Democrats were quick to react to the latest news from President Petersen, signaling their adamant opposition to these efforts. Representative Nancy Gutierrez said, “They can feel the majority slipping away. Instead of working in a bipartisan manner, they choose to be petty and vindictive.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Apr 15, 2024 | News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Legislation to strengthen border security against illicit drugs passed out of committee on Wednesday.
The House Committee on Homeland Security passed the Subterranean Border Defense Act, which was introduced by Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., and Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif. The bill awaits further action on the House Floor.
The bill would require annual reports to Congress on counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations.
“Effective border security is created by overlapping deterrents. My legislation would help ensure that Congress has the necessary data to forge another much-needed layer of defense—especially when the Biden Administration’s policies have left our country inexcusably vulnerable,” Crane said. “I’m grateful to Chairman Green for his support of this bill and for his distinguished leadership on the Committee.”
Illicit cross-border tunnels along the southwest border of the United States represent a significant and growing threat to national security, according to a news release from the congressman.
Law enforcement officials have discovered more than 140 tunnels that have breached the U.S. border since 1990. There has been an 80% increase in tunnel activity occurring since 2008.
House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green said the committee is committed to protecting America from cartels.
“Illicit cross-border tunnel operations are more evidence that vicious criminal cartels will stop at nothing to smuggle weapons, drugs, and illegal aliens into this country to our detriment, and for their profit,” Green said. “DHS must provide Congress with reporting on these operations annually, as well as the Border Patrol’s efforts to stop them, as these operations are a threat to all Americans.”
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
