Immigrants wait for soup donated by the Yuma County Abolition group after crossing the border from Mexico on May 23, 2022, in San Luis, Arizona. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The bill, which is modeled after Texas’ controversial SB 4, would make it a crime to illegally cross the border. Like the Texas law, which is critically at the center of an ongoing court battle, the bill would give local law enforcement the ability to enforce immigration laws.
"This is truly a border security bill," said Petersen, the top Republican in the Arizona Senate. "It allows law enforcement to, if they see somebody crossing the border illegally, they’re able to arrest them, detain them and put them through the judicial process."
Petersen explained that the bill addresses three key issues; border security, addressing the fentanyl crisis in the state and making sure that those who are receiving government benefits are in the country legally.
LARGE MAJORITY OF ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSINGS SHIFT TO ARIZONA AND CALIFORNIA, PIVOTING AWAY FROM TEXAS
The Arizona lawmaker also stressed that the new bill is much different than SB 1070, a controversial 2010 immigration law in the state that was partially struck down by the Supreme Court in 2012.
That bill allowed law enforcement in any part of the state to be questioned about their immigration status, Petersen explained, while this bill is more narrowly focused on securing the border.
By putting the question in front of the voters, Arizona Republicans could effectively bypass the state’s Democratic governor, who vetoed a similar bill in March that made it a state crime to illegally cross the border.
"This bill does not secure our border. On the contrary, it will be harmful for businesses and communities in our state and a burden for law enforcement personnel," Hobbs said at the time. "I know there’s frustration about the federal government’s failure to secure our border, but this bill is not the solution."
Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has vetoed a Republican-sponsored bill that would have authorized police to arrest illegal immigrants, saying the legislation was anti-immigrant and likely to be unconstitutional. The veto was criticized by Republicans who say the bill would have helped curb a plethora of crimes linked to illegal immigration in the Grand Canyon State. (YouTube)
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The proposal will now move to the full Senate for approval, where a vote is expected on Wednesday.
The measure will also need to be heard by the state House of Representatives, where it enjoys the support of Republican House Speaker Ben Toma, according to the AZ Family report.
Hobbs’ office did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/swing-state-gop-looks-go-around-dem-governor-put-texas-style-border-bill-before-voters