A successful ballot proposition that makes crossing the international border illegally a state crime may never obtain the required court approval, but Arizona sheriffs want to be prepared.The Arizona Sheriffs’ Association wants state lawmakers to include $100 million for sheriffs’ agencies in the next two years to get ready to enforce Proposition 314. Voters passed that ballot measure, which was referred by Republican lawmakers in the Legislature.The same week the sheriffs made their funding request, Republican lawmakers on Dec. 18 voted to withhold $250,000 in border-related funds from Santa Cruz County Sheriff David Hathaway, one of the four sheriffs who serve Arizona border counties, because of Hathaway’s comments that he would not enforce Proposition 314.At this point, enforcement of the main, border-crossing provision of the law remains only a possibility. But it’s still causing worry about potential civil rights violations and a massive price tag.Is that legal?Donald Trump says he’s going to use the military to help deport immigrantsYavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes, who leads the association, and other sheriffs had complained about the “unfunded mandate” underpinning the measure and now are seeking the money Rhodes said would give border sheriffs the manpower to enforce the new law.Each of the sheriff’s departments in the four border counties should receive funds for an additional 20 deputies each, Rhodes said in a Dec. 20 interview. He said onboarding the new personnel, combined with new equipment the departments may need, would require a much larger investment than sheriffs have received previously.He noted that Arizona sheriffs asked the Legislature for $24 million in funds in 2024 dedicated to border-related duties but received only $17 million.They should receive $50 million in 2025 and the same amount in 2026, with the “ongoing appropriation” rolling forward if necessary, he said.“You can’t go hire a bunch of people and then not get the funding the next year for them,” Rhodes said. “If there’s some incredible change down the road, you can always pull back a little bit. But you got to get ready. You’ve got to start now.”What is Proposition 314, the Secure the Border Act?Proposition 314, also known as the Secure the Border Act, requires immigrants to use legal ports of entry to cross into Arizona or face possible arrest by local and state police in addition to federal agents.Police would need probable cause that the person crossed the border illegally, such as witnessing the alleged crime personally, reviewing video or other means.Violators must serve 30 days in jail. People approved between June 15, 2012, and July 8, 2021, under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are immune from prosecution. State officials would also allow most undocumented immigrants to return to the country they entered from and avoid jail time.Besides the border provisions, the new law increases the legal penalty when fentanyl sales result in death, allows local arrests of und …
See the full article on Arizona’s economic indicators, or, read more Arizona real estate investing news. Take your pick!
