Arizona’s Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs promised a “major announcement,” leading up to a Monday press conference at the Port of Nogales on the state’s southern border with Mexico. And indeed, the border press event did highlight “Task Force SAFE,” a joint military-U.S. Customs and Border Protection operation deploying Arizona National Guardsmen to aid in intercepting drug smuggling. However, Hobbs also told reporters that Phoenix would not tolerate what she called Trump’s “misguided policies,” namely his promise of mass deportations of illegal immigrants.
As reported by 12News, Hobbs told reporters, “I will work with the administration when it benefits Arizonans and if I need to stand up to them because their actions will harm Arizonans, I will do that.”
She continued targeting Trump’s deportation vow, specifically saying, “We don’t know what a mass deportation plan will look like, what resources will be involved. I’m here to protect Arizonans, and I will do that.”
When asked if she would allow state law enforcement to participate in any mass-deportation action, Hobbs told ABC News, “We will not be participating in misguided efforts that harm our communities. And I’ve been incredibly clear about that.”
JUST IN: Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs bumbles through interview, says she will not let the Trump administration deport illegal aliens in Arizona.
Hobbs added, “Those efforts are going to divert needed resources that we need here on these drug interdiction, and smuggling and trafficking efforts to keep harm out of our communities. We need those resources here. And coming here today and seeing this operation firsthand just underscores that. That working in partnership here is how we can best secure the border.”
When asked what worries her about mass deportation, Hobbs told ABC, “I think the diversion of law enforcement from the work that they do everyday to keep our communities safe, people hiding in fear, we saw that under previous state policies here and it harms communities. It tears families apart. And that’s not going to happen on my watch.”
Despite reports that Hobbs is seeking to clothe herself in the garb of a moderate, noting her refusal to join the “Governors Safeguarding Democracy” (GSD) with fellow Democrat governors J.B. Pritzker (Illinois) and Jared Polis (Colorado), Hobbs recently described the legislature she has to work with as “run by literal insurrectionists and indicted fake electors,” who send her “garbage,” prompting a record shattering 216 vetoes.
According to AZCentral, Hobbs replied to calls to join the GSD saying, “I don’t think that’s the most productive way to govern Arizona. As governor, I have and will continue to stand up against actions that hurt our communities. But I will work with anyone who is doing what is right for Arizona.” Some have taken that as an indication of her willingness to work with the incoming Trump administration and the now-overwhelmingly Republican-controlled Congress.
Hobbs’ commentary from Nogales would seem to put Arizona Democrats’ concerns of the governor potentially moderating her stance against the core policies of the GOP to rest. But should 2024 electoral trends carry through to 2026, it could foreclose on the possibility of her re-election.
Governor Katie Hobbs has had a change of heart over the immigration crisis on Arizona’s southern border. She recently reversed an earlier decision against deploying the National Guard, now sending over 200 Tucson sector troops and committing up to $5 million in Arizona taxpayer money to send troops to the Lukeville Port of Entry.
Hobbs also demanded the federal government reimburse Arizona $512.5 million for “migrant transportation, drug interdiction and law enforcement” expenses incurred under the Biden administration. She also promised to seek reimbursement “regularly” from the feds for Arizona’s border crisis mitigation.
What sparked the flurry of activity from our heretofore passive chief? Finally, the direct expenses to Arizona could no longer be ignored. They’re affecting Arizona’s budget and future financial viability.
For Hobbs and scores of other Democrat mayors and governors, compassionate sympathy with the plight of illegal immigrants was a good image so long as the expense was borne elsewhere. Hundreds of sanctuary cities were formed. Mayors from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other cities basked in assuring that theirs was an open, caring place.
Like Biden himself, they welcomed illegal immigrants to our shores. Sure, they heard the reports of complaints from border communities suffering from growing hordes of needy illegal immigrants, but those were mostly just red state conservatives anyway.
However, when the influx of visitors became so overwhelming that they had to be exported around the country, perspectives changed. Too late, Hobbs and the others realized the growth was out of control and the fiscal demands truly unsustainable. Their pleas for help from the feds were ignored.
It’s a good thing that our governor now acknowledges there is a problem, but she whiffed on her response. In fact, we don’t need more money, we don’t need more troops, we need to have the resolve to enforce the law against unauthorized entries into our country.
Instead, we advertise to the world that America welcomes all migrants and those who make it here will be admitted under the clever scheme of supposedly seeking asylum. They will be provided with transportation into the country, food, shelter, medical care, education, and social services.
We are then shocked when millions from the third world’s underclass stream in. Hobbs claimed the additional funds were necessary to “manage the influx of migrants” thereby unwittingly admitting the mistake. New money flowing to the border has been used not to stem the flow but to expedite the process of admitting even more invaders.
We desperately need a policy of admitting only those who are legally qualified for admission and turning away the rest. It’s not that complicated nor costly. It would save money and possibly the future of our nation.
The downsides of unlimited entry go far beyond the expenses borne by local governments faced with accommodating the immigrants’ short-term needs. We have had an estimated 15 to 20 million people illegally enter our country this century, 6.6 million processed through in Biden’s three years alone.
These are mostly undereducated, untrained people who are unlikely to attain self-sufficiency anytime soon. Most don’t mean us any harm, but others are terrorists, criminals, and foreign agents. Immigration errors, unlike some other policy areas, can’t be reversed. Our new residents are not going to leave – ever.
America is facing some daunting challenges. Most of our schools are failing to improve the education of underprivileged children. Public spending and our crushing debt load cast a black cloud over our future. Waves of lawlessness and organized criminal behavior plague us. The influence of Marxist-inspired social theories threatens to drive Americans, once believers in e pluribus unum, into warring identity enclaves.
Simply put, America is not in a position to spend more money or take on more problems, let alone accommodate a tsunami of 20 million illegal immigrants who will exacerbate every one of them.
America is famously a nation defined not by “blood and soil” but by the values on which we were founded – equality of all before the law, representative government, rule of law, limited government, and individual rights. The illegal immigration of tens of millions who don’t know or love America will change forever who we are and what America means to the world.
Dr. Thomas Patterson, former Chairman of the Goldwater Institute, is a retired emergency physician. He served as an Arizona State senator for 10 years in the 1990s, and as Majority Leader from 93-96. He is the author of Arizona’s original charter schools bill.
Gov. Katie Hobbs has reversed course on her decision to send the National Guard to the border.
On Friday, Hobbs announced the plans to deploy the National Guard through Operation Safety, Enforcement, Coordination, & Uniform Response (SECURE): a new mobilization effort of additional state resources to mitigate the burgeoning border crisis. Operation SECURE will house a new Department of Homeland Security division, the Border Security Office, using $2 million from the state’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal funding.
Should the Biden administration continue the closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry, the governor directed the state to spend up to $5 million to mobilize the National Guard. In the corresponding press release, Hobbs criticized the Biden administration’s closure of the port of entry as the direct cause of “an unmitigated crisis” that endangered the state’s communities and commerce.
Hobbs warned that the Biden administration has placed Arizona at a “breaking point.”
“Our ports of entry are vital for security and trade, and insufficient resources hinder our ability to properly manage the influx of migrants who have continued to come to Lukeville,” said Hobbs. “We need the federal government to step up, do its job, and bring security and order to our border.”
Hobbs also submitted a letter to President Joe Biden on Friday requesting the reassignment of just over 200 Tucson Sector National Guard members to the Lukeville Port of Entry as well as the assignment of National Guard members elsewhere in the nation to reopen the port of entry.
“For far too long, Arizona has continued to bear the burden of federal inaction in managing our southern border,” said Hobbs.
Hobbs also requested the reimbursement of the over $512.5 million the state has spent under Biden on migrant transportation, drug interdiction, and law enforcement. In her press release announcing Operation SECURE, Hobbs promised to seek reimbursements of border crisis mitigation on a regular basis.
“The federal government must act immediately to solve the unmitigated crisis caused by the Lukeville Port of Entry closure,” said Hobbs.
The federal government must act immediately to solve the unmitigated crisis caused by the Lukeville Port of Entry closure.
Today, I sent a letter to President Biden calling on him to reassign National Guard members to assist in its reopening, as well as reimburse the… pic.twitter.com/JYmiBLvi6k
The governor also disclosed to reporters earlier this week that she would visit the area on Saturday to assess the situation. Hobbs is scheduled to travel with Arizona National Guard Adjutant General Kerry Muehlenbeck.
Hobbs’ decision to deploy the National Guard marks a turnaround from her perspective on Monday, when she felt that the troops weren’t warranted since the border communities hadn’t asked for them.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry last Friday. CBP attributed the closure to the need for more personnel due to the ever-worsening state of the border crisis.
“In response to increased levels of migrant encounters at the Southwest Border, fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals, CBP is surging all available resources to expeditiously and safely process migrants,” said CBP.
Scenes from the border reveal that around 1,000 illegal immigrants on any given day — mostly single, military-age men — await alongside the border for processing and transportation after illegally crossing into the U.S.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to CBP as Customs and Border Patrol. The story has been corrected and now refers to CBP as Customs and Border Protection.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Gov. Katie Hobbs isn’t planning on deploying the National Guard to the border anytime soon; she said that security is ultimately the federal government’s job.
Hobbs told The Center Square that since the border town of Lukeville hasn’t explicitly requested that assistance, she wouldn’t be giving it. Hobbs said that the Biden administration needed to be doing more to mitigate the border crisis.
“It’s not something that they’re asking for right now,” said Hobbs. “We need the federal government to step up and do its job and secure our border.”
NEW: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is not planning on deploying National Guard troops to Lukeville just yet.
“It’s not something that they’re asking for right now,” she told me just now.
“We need the federal government to step up and do its job and secure our border.”
On Monday, the illegal immigration surge prompted the Biden administration to announce closure of the Lukeville port of entry for legal travel. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a statement last Friday calling the ever-worsening border crisis an “evolving situation” that required taking personnel from the legal port of entry.
“In response to increased levels of migrant encounters at the Southwest Border, fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals, CBP is surging all available resources to expeditiously and safely process migrants,” said CBP.
Travelers were directed to cross the border through either the Nogales Port of Entry or the San Luis Port of Entry.
In response, Hobbs issued a joint statement with Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema complaining about the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis. The trio passed some of the blame across the aisle, implying that their Republican colleagues weren’t working with them well enough to “get something done” about the border.
“Partisan politicians who parrot talking points while watching the border further deteriorate must reject the echo chamber and work with us to get something done and keep our communities safe,” said the trio.
Arizona border communities are in crisis, and our men and women on the front lines do not have the resources they need.
At any given time of day, hundreds of illegal immigrants — even up to around 1,000 — remain lined up along the U.S. side of the border, waiting for their processing and transportation to Lukeville or elsewhere.
AZ: There are currently 845 people waiting to be transported in Lukeville after crossing illegally—The ones I talked to are from Guinea—Some of them have been waiting 3 days.
When families cross, they jump the line— So the single adults have been waiting much longer.
The area has been admitting tens of thousands of illegal immigrants weekly as of late.
We are on the ground in Lukeville, AZ, which has become the epicenter of the border crisis. The area sees thousands of illegal crossings daily from around globe, & is part of Border Patrol’s Tucson sector, which just saw a record setting 17,500 illegal crossings last week alone. pic.twitter.com/g6Y91FjTip
Hobbs wasn’t the only one as of late spurning state-led initiatives to mitigate the border crisis. Democratic lawmakers condemned a Texas bill authorizing state and local law enforcement to apprehend and arrest illegal immigrants. The legislators claimed that the Texas bill would result in racial profiling and familial breakups.
“This bill will undoubtably [sic] lead to widespread racial profiling and a circumvention of protections asylum seekers have under constitutional law and international obligations,” stated the lawmakers.
The Democratic lawmakers hosted a pro-illegal immigration activist effort, Todos Somos Texas (We Are All Texas), speaking in Spanish as well as English to make their case against border security. Todos Somos Texas is a coalition of multiple progressive groups including La Voz Demócrata de San Diego and Latinos Associated Together Informing Networking and Outreaching.
Reps. @Aguilar4AZ@SandovalForAZ and @Marcelino4AZ spoke at today’s press conference for Todos Somos Texas, a caravan on its way from California to protest SB4, a potential copycat of Arizona’s disastrous “show me your papers” law SB1070. Their remarks, in Spanish: pic.twitter.com/HwNZf5VJMs
The controversial bill would restrict arrests from taking place at churches, medical facilities, and schools, but not college or university campuses.
A similar bill from Arizona was already rejected by the Supreme Court in 2012. Arizona v. U.S. determined that local law enforcement couldn’t arrest based on immigration status. Texas lawmakers backing the new law point out that, unlike the overturned Arizona law, the statute of limitations on misdemeanor crimes limits law enforcement to arresting those illegal immigrants who crossed recently — not those who have resided in the state for a long period of time.
Texas’ novel law may affect illegal immigrants from qualifying for an asylum claim, since criminal history serves as a disqualifier.
Texas’ bill would take effect in March 2024, upon signing by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to CBP as Customs and Border Patrol. The story has been corrected and now refers to CBP as Customs and Border Protection.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Last week, the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services (ADVS) announced that “Arizona National Guardsmen and Reservists (would be) eligible for burial in Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemeteries beginning in 2024.” The cemeteries participating in these burials are Southern Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Sierra Vista, Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery at Marana and Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery at Camp Navajo.
Dana Allmond, the ADVS Cabinet Executive Officer, stated, “Honoring all of our service members and their families equally from every branch and component of the military is fundamental to our commitment to ensure there are no barriers to the benefits and services they have earned.”
The release from ADVS shared that this development “is the result of the Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act signed by President Biden in 2022, and the passage of HB 2670 by the Arizona Legislature back in July which allows for all Non-Veteran National Guard and Reserve members to be interred at ADVS Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemeteries.”
HB 2670 was sponsored by Arizona State Representative Stacey Travers. The bill sailed through both chambers of the legislature earlier this year with broad bipartisan support, and it was signed into law by Governor Hobbs on August 1. Hobbs expressed her pride in signing this legislation, writing, “I was proud to sign this bill and support Arizona veterans. Those who put their lives on the line for our country deserve the best and I will continue working to ensure they get what they need.”
I was proud to sign this bill and support Arizona veterans. Those who put their lives on the line for our country deserve the best and I will continue working to ensure they get what they need. https://t.co/rN14iW6K56
Representative Travers responded to the governor’s affirmation of her efforts, saying, “Veterans issues are, and should always be nonpartisan. Thank you Governor Hobbs for signing, and to all my colleagues in the legislature who voted for this important piece of legislation.”
Veterans issues are, and should always be nonpartisan. Thank you @GovernorHobbs for signing, and to all my colleagues in the legislature who voted for this important piece of legislation. https://t.co/UrDbkTrqE9
According to the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, “families interested in interment at an Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery” are encouraged to submit “an application for pre-determination for burial,” which can be filled out online. ADVS added that “cemetery staff at Southern Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery and Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery at Camp Navajo will hold applications and begin reaching out to families to make burial arrangements after 1/1/2024.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
