Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) vetoed a border bill Monday that would have made illegal border crossings punishable by law, her first veto of 2024.
Legislative analysis of the bill, SB-1231 or the Arizona Border Invasion Act, stated that illegal immigrants who cross the southern border illegally into Arizona “must be fined and imprisoned for not more than six months, or for not more than 2 years.”
“This bill does not secure our border,” Hobbs said. “On the contrary, it will be harmful for communities and businesses in our state and a burden for law enforcement personnel. I know there is frustration by the federal government’s failure to secure our border, but this bill is not the solution.”
Hobbs also cited constitutional concerns if the bill was signed into law.
Republican lawmakers in Arizona disagreed with the governor’s veto.
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“The Legislature did its job to protect our citizens, but Governor Hobbs failed to do hers. Vetoing the Arizona Border Invasion Act is a prime example of the chaos Hobbs is unleashing in our state while perpetuating this open border crisis as Biden’s accomplice,” Republican state Sen. Janae Shamp, a sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. “Our local, county, and state law enforcement officers are pleading for help, and they support this legislation to protect our citizens.”
The veto comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to block a similar Texas law that would allow the state to arrest immigrants who enter the country illegally.
