Current:Home > Contact-usProposal to allow local police to make arrests near Arizona border with Mexico will appear on ballot-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Proposal to allow local police to make arrests near Arizona border with Mexico will appear on ballot
View Date:2024-12-23 23:53:05
PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that a proposal that would let local police make arrests near the state’s border with Mexico will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot for voters to decide.
That sets up the biggest push to draw local authorities into immigration enforcement since the state’s landmark 2010 law that required police to question people’s immigration status in certain situations.
The court late Tuesday afternoon rejected a challenge from Latino groups that argued the ballot measure had violated a rule in the state constitution that says legislative proposals must cover a single subject. In an order by Chief Justice Ann A. Scott Timmer, the state’s highest court concluded the measure satisfies the single-subject rule.
If approved by voters, the proposal, known as Proposition 314, would make it a state crime for people to cross the Arizona-Mexico border anywhere except a port of entry, give state and local law enforcement officers the power to arrest violators and let state judges order people to return to their home countries.
It also would make it a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison for selling fentanyl that leads to a person’s death and require some government agencies to use a federal database to verify a noncitizen’s eligibility for benefits. The proposal will go before voters in a state expected to play a crucial role in determining which party controls the White House and the U.S. Senate. Republicans hope it will focus attention on the border and dilute the political benefits Democrats seek from an abortion-rights ballot measure.
Opponents had argued the proposal dealt with the unrelated subjects of immigration enforcement, the fentanyl crisis and the regulation of public benefits. A lower court had previously rejected those arguments.
While federal law already prohibits the unauthorized entry of migrants into the U.S., proponents of the measure say it’s needed because the federal government hasn’t done enough to stop people from crossing illegally over Arizona’s porous border with Mexico. They also said some people who enter Arizona without authorization commit identity theft and take advantage of public benefits. Opponents say the proposal would lead to racial profiling, hurt Arizona’s reputation in the business world and carry huge unfunded costs for police departments that don’t typically enforce immigration law.
In early June, the Republican-controlled Legislature voted to put the measure on the ballot, bypassing Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who had vetoed a similar measure in early March and had denounced the effort to bring the issue to voters.
This isn’t the first time Republican lawmakers in Arizona have tried to criminalize migration.
When passing its 2010 immigration bill, the Arizona Legislature considered expanding the state’s trespassing law to criminalize the presence of immigrants and impose criminal penalties. But the trespassing language was removed and replaced with a requirement that officers, while enforcing other laws, question people’s immigration status if they were believed to be in the country illegally.
The questioning requirement was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court despite the racial profiling concerns of critics, but courts barred enforcement of other sections of the law. Earlier this week, the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office said supporters of a proposal that would enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution had gathered enough signatures to put the measure on the November ballot. If approved, it would allow abortions until a fetus could survive outside the womb, typically around 24 weeks, with exceptions to save the mother’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. Abortion is currently legal for the first 15 weeks of pregnancy in Arizona.
veryGood! (495)
Related
- Trump ally Steve Bannon blasts ‘lawfare’ as he faces New York trial after federal prison stint
- Fossil Fuel Presence at Climate Week NYC Spotlights Dissonance in Clean Energy Transition
- Chappell Roan drops out of All Things Go music festival: ‘Things have gotten overwhelming’
- Blood-spatter analysis helped investigation into husband charged with killing wife and another man
- Today Reveals Hoda Kotb's Replacement
- Michael Kors’ Secret Sale on Sale Is Here—Score an Extra 20% off Designer Handbags & More Luxury Finds
- Large police presence at funeral for Massachusetts recruit who died during training exercise
- What to watch: George Clooney, Brad Pitt's howl of fame
- Vegas Sphere reports revenue decline despite hosting UFC 306, Eagles residency
- Ohio’s fall redistricting issue sparked a fight over one word. So what is ‘gerrymandering,’ anyway?
Ranking
- Prayers and cheeseburgers? Chiefs have unlikely fuel for inexplicable run
- SpaceX launches rescue mission for 2 NASA astronauts who are stuck in space until next year
- Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton Introduce Adorable New Family Member With Touching Story
- Bad Bunny Looks Unrecognizable With Hair Transformation on Caught Stealing Set
- Tennessee suspect in dozens of rapes is convicted of producing images of child sex abuse
- Fifth Harmony Alums Camila Cabello & Normani Reunite for First Time in 6 Years at Paris Fashion Week
- CEO of hospital operator facing Senate scrutiny will step down following contempt resolution
- House explosion that killed 2 linked to propane system, authorities say
Recommendation
-
32 things we learned in NFL Week 10: Who will challenge for NFC throne?
-
Sean Diddy Combs Accused of Rape and Impregnating a Woman in New Lawsuit
-
Tropical Weather Latest: Millions still without power from Helene as flooding continues
-
Federal judge dismisses a challenge to Tennessee’s school bathroom law
-
Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group’s $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys
-
Appalachian State-Liberty football game canceled due to flooding from Hurricane Helene
-
Latest talks between Boeing and its striking machinists break off without progress, union says
-
Kentucky Gov. Beshear seeks resignation of sheriff charged with killing judge