After four years of utter lawlessness at the southern border, people have been granted a reprieve with the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Now, it’s time for Republicans and Democrats across the country to come together on a whole-of-government approach to secure our border for the interests of our great nation and its people, and Arizona Republicans are showing the way.
The new administration assumes power not a moment too soon for our country. Under former President Joe Biden’s administration, millions of illegal immigrants were allowed to enter our nation and disperse into countless communities around the United States. Border agents arrested more than 57,000 people, including illegal immigrants who have outstanding warrants and criminal convictions, members of violent gangs, and members of terrorist organizations.
The uncontrolled crisis at the border has not only jeopardized the safety of our citizens but has created a significant financial burden on taxpayers. An estimated 453,000 people who are unlawfully present in Arizona cost taxpayers an astonishing $3.19 billion in 2023 alone. Additionally, a myriad of illicit and deadly drugs, including fentanyl, have escaped detection, harming young people in record numbers in our neighborhoods and schools.
Thankfully, Trump wasted no time to restore law and order in the first week of his second term in office. He issued a flurry of executive orders to overturn the Biden-era catastrophe at the border while instituting positive reforms to repair the broken systems and processes. Yet even with all the policies from the White House and relevant federal agencies, and with the team of officials ready to carry out the mission of securing the border, our commander in chief needs help from the states to protect our citizens to the fullest extent of our offices.
To this end, Republicans in the Arizona legislature have introduced the Arizona Immigration Cooperation and Enforcement Act to support the critical need for federal and local law enforcement agencies to work together to end the chaos of the previous administration’s open border policies. This is a proposal that all 50 states should seriously consider implementing to maximize the security of our border for the benefit of every citizen.
Under the AZ ICE Act, county sheriffs’ departments and the Arizona Department of Corrections are required to enter into 287(g) agreements with the federal government by Jan. 1, 2026, to support enforcement of federal immigration laws. These agreements, which were enacted in 1996 under former President Bill Clinton’s administration, allow local law enforcement officials to help identify and process noncitizens who are in local custody for violating laws. The legislation also requires law enforcement officials to comply with immigration detainer requests, preventing criminal illegal immigrants from being released back on the streets. Finally, it directs funding to law enforcement agencies to ensure there is sufficient funding in place for implementation.
Ending the border crisis requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. This commonsense legislation will not only allow federal and local law enforcement agencies to work together to protect our citizens, but it will also prevent government obstruction. Arizona voters spoke loud and clear last November when they overwhelmingly approved the Secure the Border Act that Republicans referred to the ballot. Arizonans, like citizens of every state in our union, want the law enforced, and they want safe communities. I look forward to the AZ ICE Act passing the state legislature, and I’m hopeful Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) will listen to our citizens by signing the bill when it hits her desk.
This proposal should not be partisan. Securing the border, protecting innocent people, and empowering our law enforcement at every level of our government to do their jobs should not be a Right-vs.-Left debate. Sadly, however, the topic of border security has increasingly become infused with political animus. That reality has again been proved over the past few months with liberal state and local officials promising to oppose the Trump administration’s efforts to enforce the law and remove dangerous people from their communities.
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This unfortunate spectacle has plagued our state of Arizona, where we have a Democratic governor and attorney general, who both pushed back against some of Trump’s commonsense proposals to secure the border, prioritize citizens, and enforce our nation’s laws. Instead of showing where they are working with our new president to protect innocent people, these two officials, like others around the country, are continuing to pursue their misguided positions at the expense of the people they have sworn to defend.
There is no time to waste when it comes to the security of our border. Many people have been seriously harmed because of the lawlessness the Biden administration perpetuated over the course of four years. This crisis must be solved by all of America’s elected officials — federal, state, and local — not just Trump and his team. For the sake of our state and nation, we must pass the AZ ICE Act in Arizona, and we encourage other states to do the same. The future of the U.S. depends on our ability to come together, put aside politics, and do what is best for the public.
Warren Petersen is president of the Arizona Senate.