The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a proposal to make crossing the Arizona-Mexico border illegally a state crime will appear on the November ballot.
Arizona Immigration and Border Enforcement Actions; Proposition 314The bill would allow state and local police officers to arrest and detain illegal immigrants who cross into the US between ports of entry. It would also give judges the power to order deportation.
“It’s similar to the Texas bill, but stronger.”
Additionally, selling fentanyl resulting in death is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
If voters pass the proposition on November 5, the E-Verify program would be required to verify an individual’s citizenship status before applying for financial aid or public welfare programs. Individuals who provide false information or forged documents to an employer or use them to apply for public benefits could be charged with a Class 6 felony.
Opponents tried to block the proposal from appearing on the ballot, arguing that it had nothing to do with immigration enforcement, fentanyl issues or public interest regulations, but lower courts rejected those arguments.
Critics of the measure argued that the proposal covers multiple subjects, but Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne A. Scott Timmer dissented, saying the proposal complies with the single-subject rule. Associated Press Reported.
Arizona’s Proposition 314 is similar to Texas’ Senate Bill 4, which was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in December but has since been challenged in court due to a federal lawsuit. If it goes into effect, SB4 would allow state and local law enforcement officers to arrest, detain, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants.
Arizona Senator Justin Wadsack (Republican) stated Proposition 314 is “similar to the Texas bill, but stronger.”
Since Texas introduced the bill, several states, including Oklahoma, have passed it despite legal challenges from the Biden-Harris Administration. IowaLouisiana is also trying to pass a similar bill.
The federal government has also sued Texas for installing barbed wire along its southern border to stop illegal crossings, and Abbott said the state is moving forward with plans to install additional barbed wire barriers in Eagle Pass and El Paso.
“Operation Lone Star technicians install additional barbed wire near Shelby Park,” Abbott said. said“Texas will continue to strengthen border security and protect Texans, and the American people, from the Biden-Harris border crisis.”
Meanwhile, Border Patrol agents in the El Paso sector recently Increased attacks on agentsBetween October 2023 and Aug. 9, 2024, there were 66 reported assaults against Border Patrol agents in this area.
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