Border czar Tom Homan was boycotted by Democrat lawmakers at the Arizona legislature within seconds of speaking about the administration's mass deportation program. (Getty Images)
"We won because of the Hispanic male voting Republican, and the Democrats are completely out with their base on this issue," Petersen said. "So, they do have some people that are extreme, that are opposed to border security. But what I am finding is that the majority of Hispanics want Arizona to be safe and they want the borders to be secure."
Instead of attending Homan's speech, several Democrats gathered outside the state Capitol to rally and denounce the administration's immigration policies, with Rep. Anna Abeytia reportedly in tears as she spoke about the growing "rise of anti-immigration sentiment" in her community.
State Sen. Catherine Miranda, a Democrat, called it "disturbing" that Republicans would give "a platform to someone who has caused so much harm in our community."
Miranda claimed Homan is not just responsible for deporting people, but for "kidnappings, disappearances and the deportation of individuals for reasons as unjust as having tattoos, protesting or being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Right now, they might only be going after the right to due process for immigrants, but soon they will be coming for you or your loved one's due rights processes as well," Miranda said in a statement.
State Rep. Betty Villegas, another Democrat, called ICE "cruel" under Homan's leadership, "even by Trump-era standards."
COLORADO DEMS ARE 'POKING THE BEAR' BY DEFYING TRUMP'S ORDERS, GOP LAWMAKER WARNS
Migrants walk along the U.S.-Mexico border fence in Lukeville, Arizona, on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Trump administration initiated deportation flights targeting alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua, invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Despite a federal judge’s order to ground the planes, the administration went ahead, arguing the flights were already en route and beyond U.S. airspace when the injunction was issued.
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The Supreme Court later ruled that the administration could continue deportations under the Alien Enemies Act but said deportees must be notified and allowed to challenge their removal.
Jamie Joseph is a U.S. Politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering transgender and culture issues, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, and stateside legislative developments.
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