by Matthew Holloway | Jan 6, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Mark Lamb signed off ceremonially for the last time as Pinal County Sheriff shortly after midnight on New Years’ Day, ending an eight-year tenure as the top elected law-enforcement official of the county.
In a post to X, accompanying video of his broadcast to the department, Lamb announced that his career in law-enforcement has come to an end. He wrote, “It’s impossible to sum up in one post how I feel tonight! I knew this day would eventually come, but it still doesn’t make it easy. I have loved this career! Thank you does not even begin to justify my gratitude to my family, my command staff, all of the sheriff’s office employees, all of my fellow law enforcement and to my community. This has truly been one of the greatest honors of my life, especially the last eight years as Sheriff of Pinal County. Not only is 2024 coming to an end tonight, my career (in) Law Enforcement has come to an end as well. We gave it a good run! God Bless and Happy New Year!”
Lamb opened his transmission identifying himself by the Sheriff’s callsign ‘Pinal One,’ and offered his emotional thanks to county dispatchers, deputies, corrections officers, employees, posses, COPs and his command staff. He closed his remarks by asking dispatch to show him as the police-standard ‘ten-code’ of 10-7 “Out of service,” which typically signifies the end of an officer’s watch or shift, for the final time.
Former gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson thanked Lamb and congratulated him in a statement posted to X, “Arizonans are safer for the work and dedication Sheriff Lamb has put in to defend our communities the last 8 years. In addition to all of the work he’s done, he’s been one of the top advocates in the country for dealing with the problems on our border and been a strong advocate for border security. Thank you, @sherifflamb1, for everything you have done and do on behalf of the people of Arizona!”
In a Dec. 17th interview with KTAR’s Mike Broomhead, Lamb dismissed any further political office in his future following his primary election defeat to Kari Lake. “Politics in my future? It’s not a high probability.” He added, “But I am going to stay involved in the border.”
He told Broomhead that he’s currently working with the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR): “I’m gonna stay very active on [the] border and continue to tell people what’s going on there.”
The former Sheriff told KTAR in a statement that he’s hoping to assist the incoming Trump administration in its ongoing efforts to improve border security.
“As this administration begins to form itself out, and they start getting to work and starting to secure our border, holding people accountable who broke the law, I think that there will be some space there to at least consult, or help or sit on some boards or something that has to do with helping these policies,” Lamb said.
He told the outlet that he’s also willing to bring policy suggestions to Congress and work with them to pass more effective laws to address illegal immigration.
“I hope to be of some assistance as we try to fix this border crisis that this administration has created — or really, thrown gas on — over the last four years,” Lamb concluded. “I’m gonna stay in that law enforcement space, mental health space and border security.”
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 Daniel Stefanski | Dec 9, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A prominent Arizona law enforcement official has joined a national immigration organization as an advisor.
Late last month, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) revealed that Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb would be joining its ranks as a Law Enforcement Advisor.
According to FAIR, Lamb “will spearhead FAIR’s law enforcement outreach efforts, engaging officers and agencies across the nation on immigration issues. He will help expand FAIR’s partnerships with local law enforcement and provide insight into the critical role these agencies play in addressing the challenges posed by illegal immigration. Sheriff Lamb will also serve as a media spokesperson and participate in FAIR’s podcasts to discuss current immigration issues.”
In a statement about his new role on a recent podcast episode, Lamb said, “I’m excited. I want to stay involved with the border stuff, want to stay involved in law enforcement, and what better opportunity to do it than right through FAIR?”
“We are thrilled to have Sheriff Lamb bring his hands-on experience and deep understanding of the border crisis to FAIR,” said Julie Kirchner, executive director of FAIR. “His firsthand knowledge of the dangers and complexities local communities face due to mass illegal immigration makes him a valuable asset. Sheriff Lamb will play a vital role in our ongoing efforts to work with law enforcement agencies to develop practical solutions to illegal immigration.”
Lamb quickly shot to national prominence through his position as the Sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona, which has been a hotspot for illegal immigrant and cartel activity. Pinal County is positioned between the southern border with Mexico and Maricopa County, making it a significant thoroughfare for illegal activity. Sheriff Lamb has highlighted the issues his county and state have been facing due to the increasing dangers of illegal immigration, including by hosting groups of elected officials from all around the country, who tour locations that are frequented by drug smugglers looking to take their loads from the border away into the heartland of the country.
The law enforcement professional will be taking a break from public service after his term is complete at the end of this year. Lamb served eight years as county sheriff and had oversight of more than 600 employees. In a recent interview with a local publication, Lamb reflected on his time in office, saying, “We’re very proud of all those accomplishments. I think when people look at me they say, ‘well here’s this conservative sheriff,’ but they don’t realize that I’m actually working hard for reentry, helping people in jail, helping people in the community — even the border stuff, when we contact these people, we give them the most care, we treat them with respect. We understand their plight, coming to this country. They did it illegally, but we understand it.”
He added, “We have learned to really inject humanity into this profession, but I’m also not a pushover and I’m not going to let you push bad social ideas and agendas on me either. We’re going to stand true to what we believe in and we’re gonna do it while we protect everybody and their rights and we treat everybody really well.”
Republican Ross Teeple will replace Lamb as Pinal County Sheriff after winning the General Election with almost 64% of the vote. Teeple previously served as one of Lamb’s Lieutenant Sheriffs and earned the endorsement of his boss. He has served the people of Arizona and America for more than thirty years, starting in the United States Navy.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Corinne Murdock | Sep 25, 2022 | Education, News
By Corinne Murdock |
In 2020, illegal immigrants cost Arizona public schools over $748 million — an economic burden that will likely increase due to the ongoing border crisis. 99 percent of these funds come from Arizona taxpayers’ local and state taxes, not the federal government.
The cost estimate comes from a report released this month by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). Despite the hundreds of millions poured into these limited English proficiency (LEP) programs, only 32 percent (about 23,900) of illegal immigrant students in Arizona graduate on time.
As of 2020, there were over 74,800 LEP students. That’s just over half of a percent of the total student population at most: 1.1 million. Nationwide, that number is 5.1 million students costing taxpayers over $78 billion.
Under President Joe Biden, there have been over 277,300 accompanied minors and unaccompanied children that crossed the border illegally. That doesn’t account for those apprehended minors within family units, nor does it account for gotaways.
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) handles LEP students, which they refer to as English Learners (EL), through their Office of English Language Acquisition Services (OELAS). Arizona schools’ LEP programs are known as Structured English Immersion (SEI) programs.
In May, the ADE invested $10 million of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to train teachers for SEI programs.
ADE Superintendent Kathy Hoffman opposes the SEI programs. Hoffman supported Arizona legislators’ efforts to repeal Proposition 203, which has required Arizona schools to educate EL students in English only since 2000, not their native language.
American schools weren’t always required to provide taxpayer-funded public education to illegal immigrant children. That changed in 1982 when the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled in Plyler v. Doe that illegal immigrant children were entitled to public schooling.
The taxpayer burden of illegal immigrant education may not end with K-12 schools. Come November, voters must decide whether to approve Proposition 308, which will grant in-state college tuition to illegal immigrants so long as they’ve graduated from an Arizona high school.
The state legislature approved the resolution last year through the combined efforts of Arizona House Democrats and several House Republicans: State Representatives Michelle Udall (R-Mesa), Joel John (R-Buckeye), David Cook (R-Globe), and Joanne Osborne (R-Goodyear).
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
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