Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs wielded her veto pen to defeat a Republican-backed bill that would have allowed local authorities to arrest, imprison and deport immigrants who enter the state illegally.
Hobbs, a Democrat, denounced the bill as “harmful” and suggested it raises serious constitutional concerns.
“This bill will not secure our borders, it will be harmful to communities and businesses in our state, and it will burden law enforcement officials and our state judicial system.” she wrote in her veto letter. Monday.
“Furthermore, this bill raises serious constitutional concerns and is certain to mire the state in costly and lengthy litigation.”
Senate Bill 1231The law, also known as the Arizona Border Trespassing Act, would have made border crossing a Class 1 misdemeanor, except at legal ports of entry.
If the bill becomes law, people found guilty of violating the law for the first time will be sentenced to six months in prison unless they agree to leave the country voluntarily.
The measure also would have allowed an Arizona judge to order deportation.
Hobbs, who defeated flameout Republican Kari Lake in 2022, has been outspoken about the border crisis. Still, she has a thorny relationship with the state Legislature’s narrow Republican majority.
Republicans blasted Mr. Hobbs for repealing valuable legislation aimed at combating the surge of immigrants flooding into the Grand Canyon State.
This is the first time Hobbs has used his veto power in Congress. She vetoed it a whopping 143 times last year.
Nearby Texas has filed a Justice Department lawsuit against a similar measure that allows local law enforcement to illegally detain immigrants within the country.
Earlier this week, the supreme court has stopped Texas law pending review.
There were an estimated 176,205 encounters with migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in January, down from a record high of 301,983 in December. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection numbers.
