In 2022, in an election plagued by accusations of fraud, Democrat Katie Hobbs (pictured above) defeated Republican Kari Lake for governor.
Now, despite her repeated criticism of the Biden administration's handling of the border crisis, Gov. Hobbs has issued her first veto of the 2024 legislature, rejecting the "Arizona Border Invasion Act" (SB 1231), which would have made it a crime to enter Arizona at the border from anywhere other than a lawful port of entry.
It is similar to Texas' SB4, which has been legally challenged by the Biden administration.
Ira Mehlman, media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), points out that elections have consequences.
"We have seen that since Governor Abbott has taken action, the number of people coming across illegally in the Texas sectors of the border has dropped precipitously, but it's been offset by increases in Arizona and California," Mehlman explains. "They are bearing the brunt of it now, and it's going to be up to the local officials, it's going to be up to the citizens of those states to make the determination whether they're going to take similar steps."
He says the Arizona Legislature saw that Texas' efforts are paying dividends and sought to implement a similar deterrent for The Grand Canyon State. But unfortunately, Gov. Hobbs is not willing to act.
"The governor doesn't seem to be interested in doing it, and so Arizona is feeling the brunt of this, and she's going to have to answer to her constituents," the FAIR spokesman reiterates.
In a letter announcing the veto, Gov. Hobbs claimed SB 1231 presented "constitutional concerns" that could have led to litigation and said that the bill "does not secure our border, will be harmful for communities and businesses in our state, and burdensome for law enforcement personnel."
Congressional Republicans and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb have called the veto a mistake.
Representative Janae Shamp (R-29), who sponsored SB 1231, criticized Governor Hobbs' decision in a press release, stating, "The legislature did its job to protect our citizens, but Governor Hobbs failed to do hers."
She calls the veto a "prime example of the chaos Hobbs is unleashing" in Arizona while "perpetuating this open border crisis as Biden's accomplice." She also says it is a "slap in the face" to law enforcement, the victims of border-related crimes, and the community as a whole.
