Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs made headlines on Monday when she vetoed a controversial bill that would have authorized state police to arrest undocumented immigrants. This move marks the first veto of the year from Governor Hobbs, who has been actively blocking a record number of bills passed by Arizona’s Republican-controlled Legislature in 2023.
The bill, known as the Arizona Border Invasion Act, aimed to make crossing the border without authorization a misdemeanor state crime and a felony for migrants who had previously been deported or ordered to leave. It would have also granted state law enforcement officials the power to detain migrants and Arizona judges the authority to order deportations.
Governor Hobbs cited concerns that the bill did not effectively secure the border, would be harmful to communities and businesses in the state, and would place a burden on law enforcement. She also raised constitutional issues, stating that the bill likely violated the federal government’s exclusive power to arrest and deport immigrants.
The veto comes amidst heightened tensions over border security in border states like Arizona, as well as major cities grappling with a surge in migrants crossing the southern border. Governor Hobbs has expressed frustration with the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis but deemed the Republican-backed measure as anti-immigrant and potentially unconstitutional.
The bill’s supporters argued that it was necessary to address what they called “Joe Biden’s border invasion,” citing a record influx of migrants and the strain it has placed on law enforcement and border towns. However, critics, including federal officials and Democrats, have pushed back against these claims, pointing to data that suggests most fentanyl entering the U.S. is smuggled by U.S. citizens through legal ports of entry.
The veto has sparked strong reactions from both sides, with Arizona Republicans condemning Governor Hobbs’ decision and a Latino advocacy group praising her for rejecting what they called an extreme and racist anti-immigrant bill. The group likened the measure to Arizona’s controversial “show me your papers” law from 2010, which required state law enforcement to investigate the immigration status of individuals suspected of being undocumented.
As border-focused bills continue to make their way through the Legislature, Governor Hobbs’s veto sets the stage for further clashes over immigration policy in Arizona.
