Arizona voters will have the chance to classify a drug cartel operating along the southern border as a terrorist organization after voting in November of next year.
Last year’s attempts to introduce such initiatives faced hurdles due to a slim Republican majority in the state Senate.
“Arizona is at the center of a battle that Washington has overlooked until President Trump took action. This resolution provides the Trump administration with another avenue to safeguard our country, uphold the law, and protect innocent lives,” one advocate stated.
What new resources or funding might emerge from the state’s potential designation remains unclear. Currently, the federal government maintains a list of foreign terrorist organizations, which recently included eight drug cartels as part of an executive order issued by Trump.
Being listed subjects these groups to financial sanctions, and their members are prohibited from entering the United States legally. Moreover, offering material support to foreign terrorist entities is also illegal.
The Arizona initiative also instructs the Department of Homeland Security to exhaust all means to confront the threats posed by drug cartels.
However, the department’s main function appears to revolve around managing existing federal grants tied to terrorism. Despite its name, it operates differently from its federal counterparts, encompassing various areas such as ICE, customs and border protection, and immigration services.
Arizona also oversees the state’s cybersecurity initiatives.
Interestingly, the voting laws do not take into account immigrants who might be fleeing cartel violence at the southern border. The proposed designation does not assist with asylum claims.
Should voters choose to proceed, lawmakers may sidestep the vetoes from Governor Katie Hobbs (D), who has rejected several immigration-related proposals. One such initiative from 2023 was dismissed by Hobbs, who argued it fell outside the state’s jurisdiction.
Nevertheless, the Arizona voting measure could pass with a simple majority in both legislative chambers, without needing the governor’s approval.
“By putting this to a vote, we ensure that the decision remains where it rightly belongs: with the people,” Montenegro remarked in a statement.
