Grand Canyon Times

The Biden Administration has been criticized for its perceived lack of action in curbing the influx of illegal immigrants. In response, Senate Republicans have announced a bill intended to substantially assist local law enforcement in reducing the number of immigrants entering the country illegally.

According to an article from the Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus, Senator Shamp stated, "Joe Biden and his administration have made it unequivocally clear that they have abandoned their duties to enforce immigration policy at the federal level. As a result, our communities and our citizens are suffering the dire consequences of the lawlessness associated with tens of thousands of people, many of whom are criminals, illegally entering our state each month with no repercussions. It is our duty as state legislators to ensure the safety of our citizens and our law enforcement, which is why I'm calling on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense legislation."

In the same context, Senator Gowan said, "This is the worst border crisis in U.S. history. Our local sheriffs are overwhelmed, outnumbered, and their lives are in danger. Our communities are suffering from deadly fentanyl overdoses, rapes, murders, high-speed chases, kidnappings, human smuggling, child sex trafficking and other heinous crimes carried out by those who are entering our state illegally. We can't just sit idly by and watch Biden's border invasion destroy Arizona. I'm urging members of the Legislature to pass our bills and for the Governor to sign them. Lives are on the line, and currently, our local law enforcement's hands are tied."

The proposed legislation outlined by the Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus aims to empower law enforcement agencies by defining three border-related crimes and their subsequent penalties under Arizona law. The bill authorizes local county or state law enforcement officers to apprehend non-US citizens who enter the state illegally - those who have been denied entry or previously deported - as well as individuals who refuse to comply with deportation orders. This initiative seeks to enhance border security measures and protect Arizona communities from the influx of drugs and crime associated with illegal immigration.

However, according to an article from KJZZ, a similar attempt in Texas to pass such legislation led to the involvement of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court rejected that legislation in 2012. The majority of the Supreme Court struck down three sections of the law that would have empowered state and local police to charge individuals here illegally with state offenses for seeking work without legal status, not carrying federal registration cards, and allowing warrantless arrests based on "probable cause" of federal immigration violations. The majority ruled that these provisions directly clashed with federal law.