GOP slams Arizona governor’s veto of AZ ICE Act; Dems praise veto – The Center Square

Photo: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs answers questions following an event at Bass Pro Shops in Mesa, Arizona, on Sept. 4, 2024. Cameron Arcand

The Republican majority in the Arizona Legislature Monday slammed Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs’ veto of a law designed to ensure cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

But at the same time, leaders of the Legislature’s Democratic minority praised Hobbs’ veto of the Republican-backed Arizona Immigration, Cooperation and Enforcement Act in light of the actions of the administration of President Donald Trump on immigration.

The AZ ICE Act would have prohibited state government entities from adopting or enforcing any policies that block or restrict law enforcement from cooperating with federal authorities enforcing immigration laws. If cities, towns or counties fail to comply, state legislators may file a complaint with the attorney general to request an investigation. If the attorney general’s investigation shows a state law was violated, state-shared revenues may be withheld from the municipality.

The bill also required sheriffs and the Arizona Department of Corrections to comply with immigration detainer requests.

Senate President Warren Petersen criticized Hobbs’ veto in a statement sent late Monday afternoon to The Center Square and other media.

“This veto from the governor is another slap in the face to Arizonans who have suffered greatly from the consequences of an open border under the Biden administration,” Petersen, R-Gilbert, said.

“The AZ ICE Act was a reasonable, commonsense proposal supported by Arizona sheriffs to ensure all levels of law enforcement were working with the federal government to enforce our laws and protect our citizens from harm,” Petersen said. “Sadly, the governor and state Democrat lawmakers are again choosing to obstruct any and all efforts to bolster public safety and maximize security for our communities. Arizonans should be outraged that Democrat elected officials are playing politics with vulnerable lives and livelihoods. Republicans will continue to work with law enforcement on solutions to the lingering negative effects of the Biden border crisis. Arizonans deserve nothing less.”

Before Hobbs’ veto, House Speaker Steve Montenegro said he couldn’t imagine why Hobbs wouldn’t sign the bill.

“Why would the governor not sign a piece of legislation that would protect the public, especially since Arizonans have spoken loud and clear in their communities?” the Republican lawmaker said during an exclusive interview with The Center Square.

The problems of fentanyl coming across the border and the trafficking of children are on the top of residents’ minds, Montenegro said. He noted 300,000 children have gone missing and that legislators are looking at ways to increase punishments for sex traffickers.

But in her veto letter, Hobbs said she doesn’t want to force local and state officials to take marching orders from the federal government.

“Arizonans, not Washington, D.C., politicians, must decide what’s best for Arizona,” Hobbs wrote Montenegro and Petersen.

While Republicans have majorities in both house of the Legislature, they don’t have enough votes to override the governor’s veto. Petersen previously told The Center Square that Republicans could try to put the AZ Ice Act on the ballot in 2026 as an initiative.

When Hobbs vetoed the Secure the Border Act, voters passed it as Proposition 314.

But Petersen told Phoenix radio station KTAR Monday that another strategy is to defeat Hobbs in her re-election bid in 2026 and elect a governor who will sign the bill.

Hobbs defended her record on border security in her letter to Republican leaders in the Legislature.

“I have worked productively with the federal government to secure our border, stopping fentanyl at our ports of entry through Task Force SAFE, disrupting cartel operations with Operation Desert Guardian and working across all levels of government to keep communities safe with the Border Coordination Office,” Hobbs wrote. “I will continue to work with the federal government on true border security, but we should not force state and local officials to take marching orders from Washington, D.C.”

Democratic leaders in the Arizona Legislature praised Hobbs for her veto.

“If the Arizona ICE Act had been signed into law, it would have had a chilling impact on Arizona’s public safety and immigrant communities by requiring Arizona’s public agencies to comply with ICE,” the Democratic leadership said in a statement.

“In the last 88 days, we have seen Trump illegally disappear hundreds of immigrants without due process. If the Arizona ICE Act was law, our state’s law enforcement would be required to assist in that unconstitutional process,” the Democratic leaders said. “Trump’s recent actions make it abundantly clear that he believes that he can deport, incarcerate, and disappear any person without legal consequences as long as he does so before the court can intervene.”