The Arizona House just passed a controversial Concurrent Resolution 2060, the Secure the Border Act. This proposal would bypass Gov. Katie Hobbes (D-AZ), who vetoed the proposal earlier this year. In doing so, it gave Arizona residents the choice to adopt this proposal or not. If approved, the measure will make it illegal for undocumented immigrants to enter the state from anywhere besides a port of entry. The proposal mirrors a Texas law that has since been put on hold by a federal appeals court until its challenges are resolved.

One may first criticize the governor for not allowing citizen input on the proposal. She can readily disagree with the proposal, along with many of her Democratic colleagues, on this being the best way to handle it, but the fact of the matter is that her state’s inaction is contrary to what the public wants.

Data from the Center for the Future of Arizona in May 2024 reflected that 89% of Arizona voters believe “immigration reform is important to our country and our economy” and that “a functioning border for commerce and immigration” must be prioritized. This sentiment’s supporters include 85% of Republicans, 91% of independent or unaffiliated voters, and 92% of Democrats. Additionally, 82% of all voters support the statement: “The current influx of thousands of migrants at the southern border is an international humanitarian and refugee crisis.” 

Hobbes’s veto is in direct opposition to that. She is not allowing the people to express their opinions on something that is documented to be supported, which is a failure of her government. 

While some may argue that the characterization as a failure of her government is false because she had valid reasons for her veto, I would characterize this as mostly incorrect. The Arizona Mirror reported, “Hobbes vetoed the bill because she said it would be harmful to immigrant communities, hurt Arizona businesses, burden law enforcement, and was unconstitutional — meaning it would result in costly and lengthy litigation.” 

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This bill would increase the burden on Arizona law enforcement, yes. This is due to the federal government’s failure to enforce multiple immigration laws, which has left the problem largely up to the states to enforce. This could, however, encourage state governments to pressure the federal government to do its job. Just because the federal government is not doing its job now doesn’t give states an excuse to sit idly by. 

If Hobbes cared about fulfilling the public’s desire for actual immigration enforcement, she would let the supposedly harmed immigrant communities and business owners actually vote on the proposal. But she didn’t. So the “softer” reasons why she vetoed barely apply anyway. The Arizona House of Representatives voted to allow voter input — that’s it. That’s a good thing, and if people don’t like the proposal, it is their duty to vote. The people of Arizona, however, will likely vote to secure their border.