by Jonathan Eberle | Apr 15, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Last week, Arizona lawmakers passed SB 1164, also known as the “AZ ICE Act.” The bill, sponsored by Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14), seeks to strengthen cooperation between local and federal authorities on immigration enforcement. It now awaits consideration by Governor Katie Hobbs.
The legislation, which passed the Arizona House along party lines with full Republican support, prohibits state and local government entities from enacting policies that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities. It also establishes a process for enforcing compliance: if a city or county is suspected of violating the law, a complaint may be filed with the Arizona Attorney General, triggering an investigation under Arizona Revised Statutes §41-194.01—commonly referred to as a “1487 investigation.” Jurisdictions found in violation could have state-shared revenues withheld until they comply.
“I applaud my colleagues… for supporting this vital action to help safeguard our communities from dangerous criminal illegal aliens,” said Petersen. “It’s time for the Governor to put politics aside… and protect innocent men, women, and children.”
The AZ ICE Act prohibits state and local government agencies from blocking cooperation with federal immigration enforcement; authorizes the Arizona Attorney General to investigate and penalize non-compliant jurisdictions; requires county sheriffs and the Arizona Department of Corrections to honor immigration detainer requests; and it allows law enforcement agencies to enter into 287(g) agreements with the federal government, deputizing local officers to perform certain federal immigration enforcement duties.
The AZ ICE Act mirrors efforts in other states to support federal immigration enforcement amid ongoing national debates about border security and states’ roles in immigration policy. Proponents argue such measures are necessary to prevent the release of undocumented immigrants with criminal records and to ensure local cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The bill now heads to Governor Hobbs’ desk. If signed, the AZ ICE Act would take effect later this year. As the immigration debate continues, Arizona remains a key player in shaping the conversation on border policy, enforcement, and public safety.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 13, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
As news reports from various sources and DHS officials such as Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Czar Tom Homan publicly extol the effectiveness of the Border Patrol in shutting down human smuggling, Border Patrol is sharing more reports and video of their apprehensions than ever before for greater transparency. On top of that, they also appear to be actively mocking or ‘trolling’ the criminals online.
In one such post to X, Chief Patrol Agent (CPA) of the U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector Sean McGoffin shared a side-splittingly humorous take on an apprehension of a U.S. citizen with two prior alien smuggling arrests.
McGoffin posted, “Camo clothes don’t blend well with upholstery,” addressing the five desert camouflage-clad illegal immigrants captured with their smuggler, who were shown in images crammed into the trunk of a sedan.
The USBP Chief said in a statement, “A U.S. citizen with two prior alien smuggling arrests was again arrested trying to smuggle 5 illegal aliens through the State Route 86 immigration checkpoint. She now faces a slew of smuggling, harboring, concealment, and transportation charges under 8 USC 1324. The illegal aliens, despite 3 being dressed in camouflage, were easily spotted attempting to hide in the back seat. All 5 aliens face Inadmissibility charges, with one earning a Re-entry charge under 8 USC 1326.”
A previous post on April 9th struck a similarly jocular tone with what reads like a standard joke set up, “What happens when a cartel foot guide, a cartel affiliate, and a gang member all climb over some metal bars and into the country illegally? They get arrested because we don’t play!”
In another post on April 8th, the USBP Chief openly mocked a captured cartel smuggler for who was caught carrying “devout artifacts associated with cartel culture and displayed matching tattoos.”
The post read, “Bad Spirits will not triumph over our Nation’s Guardians! 3/29: Three Points Border Patrol Station agents arrested a human smuggler who illegally entered the U.S. through the desert on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation. This smuggler, who has numerous immigration violations, was identified as a faction member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación. He carried devout artifacts associated with cartel culture and displayed matching tattoos. Jail will afford him plenty of time to think about his direction in life, as he will be charged with re-entry of a removed alien under 8 USC 1326.“
An April Fools’ Day post definitely set the tone for the more entertaining updates as well, showing a likely AI-generated image depicting McGoffin mounted upon a “Premier Patrol Llama” citing “the rising costs of maintaining horses.”
The new direction in social media may owe to the appointment of Sean McGoffin, who replaced the previous Chief John Modlin, upon his promotion to acting Deputy Commissioner. Or as a musical post to X from the White House on Thursday may illustrate, the shift in tone could be from the top-down.
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 Staff Reporter | Apr 4, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
An American citizen is in critical condition after evading Border Patrol agents while smuggling illegal aliens over the weekend.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detailed the incident in a Tuesday press release. Detection technology observed the unnamed citizen driving a “suspicious” white Nissan Rogue traveling northbound from the border near Parker Canyon Lake around Sonoita around 3 pm on Saturday. The pursuit leading to the crash began after field agents located the car driving on state Route 83.
The vehicle stopped briefly to allow three individuals to exit, where they ran into the surrounding high desert. The vehicle continued northbound to evade Border Patrol agents along the highway, driving further for about four miles before apparently losing control and rolling onto its side. The driver lost consciousness on impact and sustained critical injuries.
Agents arrested two Guatemalan illegal immigrants and one Mexican illegal immigrant following the crash. All face charges for illegal reentry into the country, while the incapacitated driver faces alien smuggling charges.
U.S. citizen involvement in illegal alien smuggling has continued even amid heightened border security and mass deportation efforts under the Trump administration. A key initiative concerned Mexico and Canada committing 20,000 total troops and personnel to the southern and northern borders, respectively, to stop illegal immigration and drug smuggling.
Border Patrol also recently teamed up with the Department of Defense to beef up border security.
Field agents apprehended other Americans smuggling seven illegal aliens on Tuesday, also in the Sonoita area. The illegal aliens faced illegal entry and illegal reentry charges.
Two vehicles driven by two American citizens were apprehended in Willcox earlier this week.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 3, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
On Monday, Arizona lawmakers joined activists in hosting an anti-deportation discussion panel at South Mountain Community College.
The event, “Resisting Mass Deportation,” featured State Senator Catherine Miranda (D-LD11) and State Representative Brian Garcia (D-LD08) along with American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona executive director Victoria Lopez, Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) Arizona members, and Arizona Luminaria staff writer John Washington (also the author of the books “The Dispossessed: A Story of Asylum at the US-Mexico Border and Beyond” and “The Case for Open Borders”).
The ACLU of Arizona and LUCHA Arizona arranged the panel.
“Trump’s mass deportation agenda has oversaturated the news. His administration is pushing the moral and legal bounds of our country to expedite deportations, disregarding people’s rights and humanity in the process,” read the ACLU event page. “At the same time, the Arizona state legislature is advancing several bills that would force our state to do the anti-immigrant bidding of the federal government, use state resources to fuel the mass deportation machine, incentivize police to prioritize immigration enforcement over public safety, and more.”
A press release from the ACLU described the panel as a means of organizing “to take direct action to stop anti-immigrant legislation advancing in the state legislature.”
One such bill of concern for the anti-deportation faction is SB1164, the “Arizona ICE Act.”
The Arizona ICE Act would enable officials or agencies of Arizona or a county, city, town, or other political subdivision to enter into agreements with any federal agency for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration laws. The legislation would also prohibit officials or agencies of Arizona as well as counties, cities, towns, or other political subdivisions from establishing, adopting, or enforcing “any policy, pattern, or practice” that hinders cooperation with federal immigration authorities in immigration enforcement. SB1164 also allowed local governments to access federal resources and state agencies to issue grants for purposes of immigration enforcement.
The House Government Committee passed the Arizona ICE Act last week.
Miranda, who co-chairs the Latino Legislative Caucus, spoke out against the bill recently. She claimed the bill would only “worsen public safety.” Miranda expressed confidence in Governor Katie Hobbs’ intent to veto the bill.
“Arizona knows from experience that encouraging local agencies to engage in federal immigration enforcement will lead to racial profiling and discrimination, particularly against Hispanic, Latino, and other immigrant communities,” said Miranda.
Hobbs’ lack of support for the bill would conflict with her recent pledge last month to secure the border and reduce illegal immigration. Hobbs issued an executive order reminiscent of her predecessor, Doug Ducey, which directed the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Arizona Department of Homeland Security to create a joint task force, Operation Desert Guardian, to expand border security. The task force partners with the federal government and local law enforcement to stop transnational crime organizations within the border counties.
Under the Trump administration, border encounters dropped by over 90 percent and drug smuggling has slowed tremendously. Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels confirmed as such in a recent interview with KTAR News.
“Whether you like Trump or not, it’s irrelevant. It’s working,” said Dannels.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Mar 18, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Trump administration announced its plans for continuing construction of Arizona’s border wall over the weekend.
The continuance of the border wall is the latest in a series of efforts underway by the Trump administration to undo the consequences of former President Joe Biden’s open borders policies.
On Sunday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced the agency’s intent to construct seven miles of border wall where none exists along the Arizona border.
“As of today we’re starting seven new miles of construction,” said Noem. “We’re going to continue to make America safe again.”
Former President Joe Biden all but made good on his campaign promise to not build “another foot” of the border wall during his administration.
The Biden administration sold the parts necessary to complete the border wall in secret. The Pentagon took the profits of the sales.
In January, a federal court ruled against the Biden administration over its efforts to sell off as much of the border wall as possible prior to Trump taking office.
Under Biden, there were over 8.8 million southwest border encounters.
Around the time of Trump’s election last November, border encounters began to drop significantly. Encounters dropped 61 percent from November 2023 to last November, 68 percent from December 2023 to last December, and 65 percent from last January to this January.
During Trump’s first month in office (last month), border encounters dropped significantly further, returning to the low five digits.
Border encounters dropped by 93 percent from the February 2024 total, 92 percent from the February 2023 total, 93 percent from the February 2022 total, and 88 percent from the February 2021 total.
Last week, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released the “CBP Home” mobile application. The free app allows individuals to “self-deport” by notifying the government of their intent to depart the country. It also enables individuals to check border wait times at legal ports of entry, apply for provisional I-94 entry, request an inspection of agriculture or biological products, and submit a travelers manifest for bus operators.
On Monday, Trump issued a proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to hasten deportations. The proclamation primarily addressed the foreign terrorist organizations Tren de Aragua, declaring the entity to be “undertaking hostile actions and conducting irregular warfare” against the nation. The proclamation allowed for the immediate apprehension, detention, and removal of terrorist organization members lacking citizenship, while also allowing Noem to apprehend and remove all other illegal immigrants as well.
“As President of the United States and Commander in Chief, it is my solemn duty to protect the American people from the devastating effects of this invasion,” stated the proclamation.
Trump defended his proclamation to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, doubling down on his characterization of Biden’s border crisis as an “invasion” necessitating wartime measures.
“This is a time of war because Biden allowed millions of people, many of them criminals, many of them at the highest level. Other nations empty their jails into the United States,” he said. “It’s an invasion.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
