Conservatives in the Arizona legislature are working to put a Texas-style anti-illegal immigration law on the ballot in November, following a veto by the state’s Democratic governor earlier this year. The legislation, approved by the Republican-controlled legislature in February, would make illegal immigration a state crime and allow police to arrest those suspected of being in the state illegally. The bill also includes provisions to make it a felony for illegal migrants who have crossed the border after being deported, as well as those who have been ordered to leave the state but have refused to comply.
The Arizona bill is similar to a Texas law passed in December, which has been on hold since January due to a lawsuit from the federal government. Several other states have also introduced similar legislation in response to what they see as a lack of action by the federal government to address the crisis at the southern border. However, Arizona’s Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed the bill in March, citing concerns that it would not effectively secure the border and would be harmful to businesses and communities in the state, as well as a burden for law enforcement personnel.
Despite the veto by Gov. Hobbs, conservatives in the Arizona legislature, including members of the Freedom Caucus, are pushing for the anti-illegal immigration law to be added to the ballot in November. State Rep. Alex Kolodin, one of the advocates for the bill, believes that the legislature has the right to refer the law to the ballot, as allowed by the Arizona Constitution. While Kolodin acknowledges that there is support for the legislation within the legislature, he is working to ensure that support translates into concrete action to get the measure on the ballot.
Kolodin is calling on the legislature’s leadership to convene a special hearing to waive the deadline for adding the measure to the ballot. He is confident that if the bill is added to the ballot, it would pass, as he believes it is a popular issue among Arizona voters. The push for the Arizona law is part of a broader trend among red states to take matters related to immigration enforcement into their own hands, with other states like Louisiana, Iowa, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Georgia also considering or passing similar measures. Kolodin argues that the push for state-level action is necessary due to what he sees as the federal government’s failure to protect states from the immigration crisis at the border.
The move by Arizona conservatives to put the anti-illegal immigration law on the ballot reflects a growing frustration with inaction at the federal level. The legislative efforts in Arizona and other states highlight the ongoing debate over immigration enforcement and the role of states in addressing issues related to border security. The Arizona bill is just one example of the broader trend of red states seeking to take control of immigration policy in response to what they perceive as federal government failures to address the challenges at the southern border.
