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May 30, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PHOENIX – “Today a jury of his peers found former President Donald Trump guilty on 34 felony counts for falsifying documents in the “New York Hush Money Case.” With that ruling, Trump becomes the first convicted President in the history of the United States. Donald Trump has always behaved like he was above the law, but today’s decision shows that even a former one-term President can be held accountable for their crimes. Despite these convictions, Donald Trump remains an existential threat to our communities and our Democracy. And, make no mistake, his supporters from those in Washington D.C. to those in the Arizona Legislature will make a million excuses and stand by their presumptive nominee. Ultimately, if that is the case, they will be choosing an unhinged wannabe authoritarian over our Democracy." “The Arizona GOP is equally guilty and complicit; his apologists and enablers remain in power today. Arizonans, and the country as a whole, deserve better. A second Trump term is an unacceptable outcome that will lead to chaos and an all-out attack on our civil rights and civil liberties. In November, Arizonans must galvanize and reject the convicted felon Donald Trump and the hatred he spews.” ###

Republicans in the Arizona Legislature have approved a ballot measure that supporters claim will address the fentanyl crisis despite the expanded police powers in the proposal doing virtually nothing to those who break trafficking laws. By Camaron Stevenson, The Copper Courier House Concurrent Resolution 2060 will now be sent to the Arizona House for a vote—and if passed, will added to the November 2024 ballot, where Arizona voters will be asked to approve the law. If it were to become law, HCR 2060 would: Give state law enforcement authority to arrest anyone they suspect has entered the country outside authorized ports of entry Declares crossing the border anywhere outside a port of entry to be a state crime—and a felony Creates stricter requirements and penalties for businesses that employ immigrants Grants law enforcement and government bodies blanket immunity from civil lawsuits that might result from enforcement of the law Requires harsher penalties against anyone convicted of knowingly selling fentanyl that causes death Reviving harsh immigration laws Opponents of the proposal have compared its language surrounding detainment, enforcement, and deportation to that of SB 1070. This 2010 law granted police the authority to make warrantless arrests—just as HCR 2060 does—and was ruled to be unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court. The court also ruled that its provision that law enforcement could detain anyone they had “reasonable suspicion” was violating immigration law could lead to racial profiling. The language the justices referenced similarly mirrors HCR 2060’s allowance that anyone police can arrest anyone they deem has “sufficient indicia of probable cause.” Alejandra Gomez, executive director for Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), said the current proposal has the same unconstitutional mandates as the 2010 “show me your papers” law, and will impact Black and Latino communities in the same devastating way. “We all remember too well how law enforcement weaponized SB1070 to target Black and Brown Arizonans across the state,” said Gomez. “If you are black or brown in the state of Arizona under HCR 2060 you are not safe from being persecuted or detained. And that is exactly the message Republicans want to deliver. HCR 2060 is a monstrous reincarnation of SB 1070, poised to destroy Arizona’s communities and drive families across Arizona into hiding out of fear and persecution.” Impact on current residents Supporters of the measure, such as Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, denied the law would have any impact on the state’s current residents. He pointed to something known as ex post facto, a state law reiterated in HCR 2060 that says laws can only be applied proactively, and can not be retroactively used against Arizonans. “This would not affect anybody who has already entered the country prior to the passing of this. That would violate ex post facto criminal law,” said Petersen. “This is prospective, going forward.” But the ex post facto protection itself appears to be unconstitutional. In 1913, the US Supreme Court ruled that ex post facto laws do not apply to deportation because deportation is not a punishment for committing a crime, but “a refusal by the government to harbor persons whom it does not want.” The fentanyl part The measure also fails to address illegal substances such as fentanyl brought across the US-Mexico border by US citizens through legal ports of entry, which accounts for nearly 90% of fentanyl seized by law enforcement. HCR 2060 also does not provide funding for its mandate that local authorities enforce border crossings, an effort estimated to cost $325 million annually. The spike in incarceration would also cost the state’s prison system $50 million every year. “I don’t appreciate how often It seems that the folks who are pushing and advocating for this bill are using fentanyl as an excuse,” Arizona Sen. Christine Marsh told The Copper Courier. “It will erode voters’ trust when they see that it is not actually mitigating the fentanyl crisis in any significant way.” As it is written, HCR 2060 only focuses on illegal substances brought across the border by non-citizens outside authorized ports of entry. If voters approved the measure and it eliminated this form of trafficking entirely, it would reduce the amount of opioids coming to the US by 0.009%. If applied to the 152 million doses of lethal fentanyl seized by the US Drug Enforcement Agency so far in 2024, HCR 2060 would prevent less than 14,000 lethal doses from entering the country. Republicans passed a similar measure earlier this year, but it was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs. In response, legislators along party-lines passed it again, but as a ballot proposition, as to circumvent another Hobbs veto. Next, it will be sent to the Arizona House, and if passed, will be added to the November 2024 ballot, where it must be approved by a majority of Arizona voters in order to become law. Link to original article: https://coppercourier.com/2024/05/23/ballot-measure-arizona-arrest-immigration/

Alex Gomez Special to the Arizona Daily Star The Arizona Supreme Court upheld a draconian abortion ban from 1864 — one of the worst in the entire nation — rolling back the clock for Arizonans 160 years to the Civil War era. This should have felt unbelievable and outrageous, except it’s not an anomaly. State legislatures all across the country have been emboldened to roll back abortion rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. While the abortion fight is the most well-known example of the Supreme Court’s damage to Arizonans, it is far from the only instance in which extreme MAGA justices have trampled on the rights of people within our state in their full-throated pursuit to grab more power. In addition to gutting our reproductive rights, the Supreme Court has made it harder to regulate gun use, allowed massive corporations to pollute our air and water, helped politicians suppress people’s votes, and handed down many more rulings that have harmed Arizonans’ freedoms and well-being. With President Trump’s three nominees securing a MAGA supermajority on the Supreme Court, it has been fully captured by mega-donors and anti-democratic power players. And the justices on the high court are ramming through their anti-freedom agenda while accepting lavish gifts from billionaire donors – who have their own political and economic agendas. Now, these justices are in a position to pay back the ultra-rich and powerful who finance their luxury vacations and private jet flights by making decisions that help them get richer and gain more power — while we, the people, pay the price. The MAGA justices are not done yet — in fact, they are gearing up to go much further in their relentless power grab if they’re not stopped. Over the coming weeks, and particularly this June, they could make decisions that rewrite the rules in favor of special interests, billionaires, and major corporations at the expense of the American people. Nothing less than our fundamental freedoms, health and safety are on the line. This Supreme Court has a track record of issuing damaging decisions that give us a roadmap for how their power grab would affect our state. The justices recently refused to block anti-immigration decisions coming out of Texas, spelling trouble for the future if they open the floodgates on immigration like they did on abortion — empowering states to be as extreme as they want in the absence of federal standards. The Court also decimated common sense gun measures in recent years, preventing states from enacting prevention laws in the face of the endless onslaught of violence plaguing our communities. Now, thanks to the Supreme Court, Arizona Republicans have introduced a bevy of bills within the past few months that aim to allow concealed guns on campuses, ban municipalities from prohibiting gun shows, allow for ranchers to shoot border-crossers at will, and prevent red flag laws that would confiscate guns from those deemed a threat. These actions have built upon the major set of voting rights decisions from the Supreme Court — with Arizona at the center — where extreme justices made progress in their long-standing push to suppress voting rights. After gutting the Voting Rights Act a decade ago, the Supreme Court issued its second major blow to this landmark legislation when the justices upheld discriminatory voting laws pushed through by Arizona’s then-Governor Doug Ducey, former Attorney General Mark Brnovich. This decision was approved along party lines in the state legislature — with all but one Republican lawmaker voting in the affirmative. This paved the way for more state policies across the country that make it harder for voters of color to cast their ballots. So who is standing up for us? Who is fighting for our rights and our freedoms? It doesn’t have to be this way. Our leaders have the ability to fix this court and protect our rights. Congress has the authority to fix the Supreme Court only if its members are bold enough to act. These Court decisions, and the dangerous policies they unleash, show us just how high the stakes are — and why Congress needs to make its choice and take immediate action. Are our leaders on our side, or on the side of power-hungry MAGA justices? Donald Trump appointed half of the justices who now completely control the agenda. If Congress continues down a path of allowing the Court to protect their billionaire patrons than the welfare of the public, we will see our freedoms eroded even further. This year, Arizonans have a crucial opportunity to hold our leaders accountable. We will make our voices heard, at a time when we have more leverage, because the stakes are too high not to. It’s time to take back our freedoms. Link to original article: https://tucson.com/opinion/column/arizona-opinion-the-supreme-court-s-power-grab-is-rolling-back-the-clock-for-arizona/article_9f0960de-16ca-11ef-bc5a-1b1bd2c80215.html

Critics say the proposal, like SB1070, would sanction mass racial profiling by AZ law enforcement By Gloria Gomez, AZ Mirror Republicans in the Arizona Senate approved a proposal on Wednesday that seeks to give police officers across the state the power to arrest migrants, and local judges the authority to deport them, over the objections of Democrats, business leaders and immigrant advocates. The ballot referral, titled the “Secure the Border Act,” would ask voters in November to decide whether Arizona should be allowed to enforce federal immigration law. By sending House Concurrent Resolution 2060 to the ballot, Republicans would circumvent Gov. Katie Hobbs’ veto. The proposal is a collection of GOP bills that have previously failed to pass. Among them is one that Hobbs already vetoed, which would have made it a state crime for migrants to cross the border anywhere but at an official port of entry. Another portion of the proposed ballot referral makes it a class 1 misdemeanor for undocumented Arizonans to use false documentation to apply for jobs or public benefits, such as housing or food assistance. And a third provision creates an entirely new class of felony, with much harsher punishments, for people who knowingly sell fentanyl that later results in someone’s death. While a class 2 felony is punished with between 4 to 10 years in prison, a conviction under the new felony offense would automatically increase sentences by 5 more years. A move to push the proposal through the state Senate on May 15 was foiled after a lone Republican withdrew his support. Sen. Ken Bennett, R-Prescott, who has crossed party lines to kill other ballot referrals this session, warned last week that his vote was contingent on amendments that would reduce the penalties for submitting falsified documentation, and ensure that the state crime punishment provision couldn’t be used against undocumented Arizonans who are already living in the state. But on Wednesday, Republicans made changes that appeared to meet those demands. The legislation was amended to lower the penalty for submitting false information to apply for a job or a public benefit from a class 6 felony to a class 1 misdemeanor, and to add a stipulation that people would only be guilty of crossing the border illegally if they do so after the proposal goes into effect, offering protection to undocumented people who are already here. Additionally, GOP senators added a clause requiring a police officer to justify arrests by meeting probable cause standards. But during a combative nearly four-hour-long debate on Wednesday, Democratic lawmakers maintained that the changes were insufficient to assuage concerns about racial profiling. Latino and immigrant advocacy groups have likened the legislation package to SB1070, the state’s notorious 2010 “show me your papers law,” warning that its lax criteria for arrests, coupled with a clause that grants police officers immunity from lawsuits, will lead to discrimination. Sen. Priya Sundareshan, D-Tucson, criticized Wednesday’s amendments for leaving the door open for racial profiling. The new clause requiring police officers to have probable cause before they can make an arrest describes it as one of three scenarios: the officer’s own first-person witnessing of an illegal border crossing, a technological recording of an illegal border-crossing or any other “constitutionally sufficient indicia of probable cause.” Sundareshan, an attorney, voiced concern that the third acceptable option is too broad. Bennett acknowledged that the language could be stricter, but said he was confident the courts would interpret it as evidence that rose to the same threshold as a first-person testimony. But Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, pointed out that the word “constitutional” necessarily outlaws any justification that violates constitutional protections, meaning that arrests made on the basis of race would not be valid. The third criteria was added not as a means to greenlight discrimination, he said, but to give police officers sufficient leeway to accept other kinds of unexpected evidence. Kavanagh, who is a retired New York Port Authority officer, noted that some people confess to breaking the law in the midst of asking law enforcement officials for help and said “criminals are stupid.” That comment elicited a negative reaction from the Senate’s third-floor gallery, which was filled with Latino Arizonans and activists from Living United for Change in Arizona, a pro-immigrant advocacy group that has been at the forefront of public criticism of the ballot referral. Kavanagh then quipped: “Apologies to the criminals in the gallery.” Sen. Anna Hernandez, D-Phoenix, pressed Bennett on the continued geographical ambiguity in the proposal. While Republican lawmakers have repeatedly claimed that only migrants who illegally cross the border between the ports of entry can be punished under its provisions, critics of the resolution have pointed out that it applies statewide — there are no requirements for police officers to be anywhere near the border to make an arrest. Amendments added to the proposal on Wednesday did not satisfy Democrats. Hernandez questioned whether video surveillance footage taken at the border could be sent to law enforcement agencies hundreds of miles from the border and allow them to seek suspects in their communities. Bennett rebutted that he doesn’t think that is how “law enforcement works,” but acknowledged that no clear geographical limit was added in order to give police officers the flexibility to detain suspects who may have traveled just a few miles away from the southern border. Kavanagh, meanwhile, defended the right of law enforcement officials to use video recordings to make arrests further away from the border, likening it to security footage of robberies that are later disseminated to find suspects. But, he added, law enforcement agencies likely wouldn’t go to the trouble of expending limited resources to do so in the case of an illegal border crossing, given the number of crossings that occur. “How could you ever get all those videos out? It’s not practical,” he said. “The police aren’t going to spend resources that they would with a robber of Circle K, putting it on TV and making posters. They’re not going to do that. But if you have probable cause that a crime was committed in Arizona — in this case crossing the border at not a port of entry — of course the police can arrest!” While Republican lawmakers touted the new amendment mandating probable cause as a safeguard against any racial profiling, Democratic lawmakers remained unconvinced, pointing out that what happens on the ground doesn’t always reflect what is written in the law. Sen. Rosanna Gabaldón, D-Tucson, noted that, before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down most of SB1070 — which was also advertised as being a race-neutral law by proponents at the time — she was pulled over by police officers 18 times in one year. Gabaldón, who is Latina, said that she often requested justification from officers on why she was being detained, but that several times they refused to offer an explanation and instead pushed her to prove she was in the country legally. “They gave me no reason, they gave me no citation, but I had to prove myself as an American citizen,” she said. Some Republicans took issue with the repeated claims that police officers would use the law as an excuse to discriminate. Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, whose mother is from Mexico, apologized to police officers listening to the legislative broadcast, and pointed out that many border law enforcement officials are Latino. “This Latino Senator doesn’t think that you’re sell-outs or racists, who’s only motivations for wearing a badge are to pull over fellow Latinos,” he said. In the middle of Shope’s speech, a protest erupted in the gallery, where members of LUCHA stood up and yelled at lawmakers. Some removed their blue shirts emblazoned with the LUCHA logo to reveal white t-shirts with letters underneath, spelling out “STOP THE HATE.” (Senate rules bar banners in the gallery.) Amid chanting “Stop the hate!”, expletives and accusations of racism lobbed at lawmakers, the crowd was ejected from the gallery. “You’re a disappointment, Bennett!” one protester shouted. “Kavanagh, don’t you ever refer to our community as criminals!” another LUCHA member yelled. “My brown skin does not make me a criminal!” Ultimately, the proposal was passed along party lines by a vote of 16-14, with every Democrat in the chamber in opposition. The resolution goes next to the House of Representatives and, if it is approved without any amendments, it will be sent directly to the November ballot. Link to original article: https://azmirror.com/2024/05/22/senate-republicans-approve-sending-secure-border-act-to-the-november-ballot/

A Republican holdout was convinced to align with his party after an amendment removed potential effects on undocumented “dreamers” and clarified the probable cause required to make an arrest under the proposed law. By Joe Duhownik, Courthouse News Service PHOENIX (CN) — Arizona's Senate floor session ended in chaos Wednesday as members of the gallery shouted out in protest of a voter resolution that would establish illegal border entry as a state crime. Critics of the resolution, which the Senate passed after nearly three hours of debate, say the proposed law would encourage racial profiling and violate the U.S. Constitution. “My brown skin does not make me a criminal,” one person shouted, as the crowd chanted “stop the hate!” Multiple Republicans yelled back at them, including Senate President Warren Petersen, who accused them of breaking the law by interrupting the floor session. Republicans spent most of the month of May building to a vote on House Concurrent Resolution 2060, which would enforce federal border crossing laws at the state level. The vote was most recently thwarted by a member of their own party, Ken Bennett of Phoenix, who protested a recently added amendment last week. The amendment removed Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals as a defense for illegal entry if the federal program ends. The amendment sponsor Janae Shamp, a Republican from Surprise, assured the chamber on May 9 that program recipients, called “dreamers” — those brought across the border as children who are given work permits and immunity from deportation — wouldn’t be targeted. Bennett said last week he would only vote for the resolution if all references to the program are removed, so Republican David Gowan of Sierra Vista introduced a new amendment Wednesday afternoon doing just that, and clarifying that the law can’t be enforced retroactively against those that are already here. The amendment reearned Bennett’s favor, allowing the Republicans to send the resolution back to the House for a final vote. Opponents — Democrats and community organizers from the nonprofit Living United for Change in Arizona — say the bill will encourage police to rely on racial profiling because, aside from witnessing a crossing firsthand, an officer wouldn’t have probable cause to assume one crossed the border outside a legal port of entry. Bennett was concerned about profiling, but he said the new amendment relieved his concerns on that front as well. It clarifies that an officer can only investigate or arrest someone if any of the following apply: The officer witnesses the crossing The officer possesses a technological recording of the crossing There is any other constitutionally sufficient condition of probable cause Democrats say the third item on the list allows the bill to be enforced beyond reasonable probable cause. Bennett said he would have preferred more specific language clarifying that the third possibility of probable cause must be “similar” to the first two conditions. But he added that the U.S. Supreme Court has previously ruled that whenever a list of conditions includes a final catch-all, the terms of the catch-all must be “of the same level of standards as the others on the list.” Still, Democrats weren’t convinced. “This can be applied in a much broader sense and confirms our fears,” state Senator Priya Sundareshan of Tucson said. “The number three is so broad. It is a catch-all.” Critics also say the resolution would violate the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution by enforcing federal laws at the state level. The resolution language is based on a bill recently passed by the Texas state legislature, which is now caught up in federal court fighting the same claims. If passed by the voters, Arizona’s resolution will only take effect if Texas’ bill survives federal court. Debate over the resolution quickly devolved into squabbling after Democrat Catherine Miranda accused Republican John Kavanagh of racial profiling. Kavanagh, while discussing border crossing, said “criminals are dumb,” eliciting hisses from the members of the gallery. Kavanagh quickly added: “I’m sorry if I offended any criminals in the gallery.” Miranda called Kavanagh out for the comment, as many people in the gallery were Hispanic. Kavanagh flipped the accusation on Miranda, asking why she assumed they were Hispanic. Later, more than a dozen members of the gallery stood and denounced Kavanagh’s statements, revealing lettered shirts that spelled “STOP THE HATE.” They were removed from the gallery. The resolution establishes a misdemeanor crime for submitting false citizenship or employment eligibility documents to an employer, and establishes “sale of lethal fentanyl” as a class 2 felony if the dealer knows the drugs they sold contained fentanyl and if the fentanyl was the main cause of the user’s death. The vast majority of fentanyl that comes into Arizona from Mexico is trafficked by U.S. citizens through legal ports of entry, or through mail or other means — not on the backs of those crossing illegally. Democrats complained that the resolution won’t adequately solve the fentanyl crisis, which they say should be addressed in a separate bill. The Senate voted 16-13 on party lines in favor of the resolution. Though the resolution originated in the House, the current language is the result of a “strike everything” amendment added in the Senate, meaning that the new language must be reapproved by the House before it is sent to the voters. Link to original article: https://www.courthousenews.com/arizona-senate-advances-immigration-resolution-amid-racial-profiling-claims/

PHOENIX – Today, Arizonans face an urgent and alarming threat as Senate Republicans passed HCR 2060, an insidious bill designed to target and harm communities across Arizona. Despite mounting opposition from business leaders, faith groups, and community organizations, Republicans continue to advance  one of the most racially discriminatory pieces of legislation in the state’s history. No amendment or modification can make HCR 2060 constitutional or an acceptable piece of legislation; it remains a racially discriminatory bill threatening Arizona's Black and brown communities. Vague Definition of Probable Cause Due to no geographical restrictions, HCR 2060 vaguely defines probable cause, allowing law enforcement to make unconstitutional assumptions based on the color of an individual's skin and the language they speak. This will place black and brown Arizonans hundreds of miles away from the border under constant threat of being harassed and detained. Fentanyl Crisis Moreover, this bill does not in any wat address the fentanyl crisis, as 86.3% of convicted fentanyl traffickers are U.S. citizens and over 90% of fentanyl seizures occur at main ports of entry, not “illegal migration routes”. Just 0.02% of those arrested by Border Patrol for crossing illegally possessed any fentanyl. This bill fails to enhance community safety or address the economic issues Arizonans are facing. Source: CATO Institute Unfunded Burden Throughout the process, Republicans have downplayed and blatantly concealed from the media and the public eye the true impact of HCR 2060 on Arizona’s economy and its communities. The Grand Canyon Institute estimates an annual cost of at least $325 million, excluding additional law enforcement expenses and potential reputational damage, which could total $1 billion. Not including additional, undisclosed law enforcement expenses and reputational damages to the state, which could reach $1 billion. In short, the Arizona GOP proposes that Arizona voters/taxpayers pass their failed policies that would unleash civil rights violations on their communities, and then foot the bill for increased detention centers, neighborhood raids, rampant racial profiling, and the separation of families. All while giving law enforcement full civil immunity. “We remember too well how law enforcement weaponized SB1070 to target black and brown Arizonans across the state, in urban cities, across Arizona. We remember the raids, and the family separations that devastated cities and towns,” said Alejandra Gomez Executive Director of LUCHA. “If you are black or brown in the state of Arizona under HCR 2060 you are not safe from being persecuted or detained. And that is exactly the message Republicans want to deliver. HCR 2060 is a monstrous reincarnation of SB 1070, poised to destroy Arizona’s communities and drive families across Arizona into hiding out of fear and persecution. “Make no mistake as long as Arizona Republicans have the power to push their hate agenda, they will never stop trying to turn Arizona into a personal playground for Donald Trump’s policies.” ###

Op-Ed by Alejandra Gomez, Living United for Change in Arizona “Senator, they have to go back.” Those are the reprehensible words of a MAGA Republican state representative in Arizona defending an amendment that targets DACA recipients with deportation. Arizona Republicans are now voicing the quiet part out loud when it comes to House Concurrent Resolution 2060, an anti-immigrant initiative they hope to place on the ballot this November. They want to open the floodgates of persecution and racial profiling on Black and Brown Arizonans. Republicans want to see Dreamers and their families jailed and deported. They want to see Donald Trump’s vision of ending birthright citizenship, deportation camps and mass deportations become a reality. HCR2060 is a reckless bill that reaches far beyond the border, threatening to devastate immigrant communities hundreds of miles away. It does nothing to address the humanitarian crisis at the border. Instead, it is a cynical ploy to use Arizona as a testing ground for the extreme policies championed by Trump. This bill is designed to incite fear and rally a political base who needs their red meat at the expense of communities, and real, effective policy solutions. We’ve seen this before in Arizona, before Trump was Trump. There was Jan Brewer, Russell Pearce and Sheriff Joe Arpaio — all key figures in the passage and implementation of SB 1070, the state’s infamous “Show Me Your Papers” law. We are no strangers to politicians promoting bad policies full of hate and racism. Fourteen years ago, SB1070 inflicted immense harm to our state’s image, economy, and to the very communities that built this state. It was extreme cynicism and hate turned into policy, that led raids into our communities, tearing families apart, and forcing many more to leave to escape persecution. And here we are again, in 2024, with a Republican Party still clinging onto power by the narrowest of majorities and using that power and authority to weaponize hate and cynicism. But just like SB1070 galvanized an entire community to mobilize, take power back and ultimately defeat the architects of the nativistic law, we are once again at a pivotal turning point for our community in Arizona. This is not 2010, it’s 2024 — four years after Latinos mobilized to the polls in Arizona and delivered the state to President Joe Biden, winning Arizona by just 10,000 votes. We made the difference. We will show them that their strategy has failed. We will remind them of who we are. While pundits talk about Democrats losing Latino voters, and Republicans gaining their support, that is not what we’re seeing on the ground. In Arizona, the Latino community is poised to reject MAGA Republicans, and the masterminds of HCR 2060. Latinos are ready to mobilize against the very Republicans who take every opportunity to attack their community, and their families for political gain. We will not stand by while politicians continue to inflict harm on our communities. Latinos in Arizona are poised to reject this perverted narrative and vision for our country. We understand that the real issues we face — such as affordable housing, job opportunities, and access to health care — are being neglected in favor of a fear-driven agenda that does nothing to improve our lives. A recent Latino Community Foundation poll shows that Latinos in Arizona are most concerned about the cost of living and inflation, jobs and the economy, housing affordability, gun violence, health care and reproductive rights. Immigration and the border doesn’t break into the top five for Latino voters. This poll validates what we already know after years of painstaking organizing. It is not that Latino voters don’t care about immigration. Of course they do. Latinos want to support solutions like comprehensive immigration reform. But they don’t buy into false narratives, scapegoating, and hateful rhetoric spewed by MAGA Republicans in Arizona. Make no mistake: Arizona isn’t going back. LUCHA will knock on over one million doors this year and mobilize Latino voters to the polls in November to reject the Arizona GOP who continue to attack our humanity, dignity, and rights in a bid for power. We will show them that their strategy has failed. We will remind them of who we are. Link to original article: https://azmirror.com/2024/05/22/arizona-latino-voters-reject-the-gop-hateful-rhetoric-hcr-2060/

The generation that successfully fought SB 1070 hasn’t gone away and remains organized and politically active to fight HCR 2060. By Julio Ricardo Varela, MSNBC Republicans in the Arizona Senate have resurfaced an immigration ballot measure that would ask voters this November to make illegally crossing the border a state crime. Though Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, vetoed a similar bill this year, that hasn’t stopped the state’s Republicans from keeping House Concurrent Resolution 2060 (HCR 2060) alive to gain political points and give local law enforcement more authority to criminally charge undocumented individuals. Republicans putting another reiteration of the state’s 2010 “show me your papers” law on the November ballot would be a gift to President Joe Biden. But Republicans putting another reiteration of the state’s 2010 “Show me your papers” law on the November ballot would be a gift to President Joe Biden. The generation that successfully fought SB 1070 hasn’t gone away and remains organized and politically active. Arizona is one of the states where Biden is trailing former President Donald Trump, according to a poll this week from The New York Times and Siena College. He’s winning Latinos by 10 points in that poll, but HCR 2060 could be an issue that pushes Latino turnout and support for Biden higher. According to Pew Research, Latinos make up 25% of the state’s eligible voters, accounting to 1.3 million voters. The NALEO Education Fund estimates that more than “855,000 Latinos are expected to cast ballots this November in Arizona, which mirrors the 2020 Latino turnout and is an increase of 57.5 percent from 2016.” Arizona Latinos helped deliver the state and the presidency to Biden in 2020 after Hilary Clinton lost the state to Trump in 2016. They also helped elect Democrats for governor and the U.S. Senate in 2022. Immigrant rights activists have been protesting at the state Capitol in Phoenix against HCR 2060, arguing that the measure, if put on the ballot and then approved by voters, would lead to racial profiling and targeting of immigrant communities, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and those who’ve lived in Arizona much longer. HCR 2060 was expected to be voted on this week, but a Republican legislator signaled his disapproval of some of the measure’s provisions, particularly the prospect that it could make an estimated 20,000 DACA recipients subject to deportation. As of now, the measure has been stalled, which means Arizona’s Generation SB 1070 has earned another political victory, even if it’s temporary. “I do think that the Latino vote is very strong and we’re ready to come out to the polls,” 25-year-old Karime Rodríguez, a services and immigration manager for LUCHA (Living United for Change in Arizona) told me Wednesday morning via a phone interview. “Despite everything that’s happening politically, these are humanitarian issues. And especially myself, I’m a young Latina, I’m a student, and all the communities that I’m around are ready to fight. Back then during SB 1070, it was just our parents, the original dreamers, but now it’s all of us.” Rodríguez, a DACA recipient who is now on the path to naturalization, acknowledges that some Latinos in her community might be drifting away from President Biden, but she emphasizes that generation SB 1070 is not going anywhere and is getting more politically mature and better organized. The politics of HCR 2060 couldn’t come at a better time for Biden and Democrats. “All eyes are on Arizona this election season to see what’s going to happen. But as we’ve shown in the past, our community will come out in waves to make sure that we are voting for measures that benefit us and all of our community members,” Rodríguez says. “We’ll do that again this year. I think that when you oppress a group for so long that there is a time where you know we get tired of fighting, we get tired of being on the defensive side, but at the same time we leave our guard down when measures like HCR 2060 slip through the cracks without us knowing, and we can’t let that happen.” On Tuesday, the action fund of UnidosUS, the largest Latino civil rights group in the country, chose Arizona to formally endorse Biden. There are indications that Biden is trending up again nationally with Latinos, and unlike the NYT poll, a poll from the Latino Community Foundation released at the start of May shows Biden leading Trump by 20 points with Arizona Latinos. On Tuesday, the action fund of UnidosUS, the largest Latino civil rights group in the country, chose Arizona to formally endorse Biden. That said, Arizona is neither in the Biden camp nor the Trump one. If HCR 2060 reaches the ballot (even if there are provisions that protect DACA recipients) Rodríguez is one of many organizers who is fully confident that the measure can be defeated. In addition to Arizona electing Democrats as governor and senator in 2022, grassroots organizers worked hard to pass Proposition 308, which opened up in-state tuition to anyone in Arizona who attended state high schools for at least two years. There is no doubt that they can defeat HCR 2060. “If the measure passes, then it goes to the ballot, and it’ll be in the hands of Arizonans to vote on this, on this measure,” Rodríguez says. “Arizonans have more sympathy and empathy towards migrants, and although our southern border is always used in the news as a spectacle, what surveys actually show within our state is that people want solutions to help migrants. And so, I do believe that in the polls, we’ll be able to shut it down.” And if they do, they’ll likely shut down any hopes of Trump winning the state, too. Link to original article: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/arizona-gop-keeps-pushing-latino-voters-biden-rcna152656

Por Univision Arizona

A rally against the Secure the Border Act took place in front of the capitol building on Saturday. By Kenzie Beach, Fox 10 Phoenix PHOENIX - While Republicans are working to put the measure in front of voters during the November elections, protesters say the bill is racist and unconstitutional. The controversial border bill gives law enforcement the authority to arrest people that are believed to be in Arizona illegally. . Meanwhile, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has indicated she will likely veto the bill if it passes through the legislature. The bill, HCR 2060, is moving through the Arizona House and Senate. What the protesters are saying: "Our brown skin is not a crime," protester Gina Mendez says. "This bill is going to racially profile us. It is going to deport our families and its going to continue to criminalize people just for breathing and living in the state of Arizona." The protest was organized by the Living United for Change in Arizona group or LUCHA. Rocky Rivera, a LUCHA supporter, drove in from Tucson to stand up against HCR 2060. "It's going to be economically detrimental not only to small towns and latino businesses but the state overall. They contribute to the state. They spend (money) here," Rivera said. "Not only arresting these people but prosecuting them through the courts is going to clog up the courts, take up all of our jail beds and prison beds and at the cost of us people here in Arizona." Have similar bills to HCR 2060 been proposed? SB 1070, also known as the "Show Me Your Papers Law," passed in 2010 and has been compared to HCR 2060. Two years after the passage of SB 1070, most elements were struck down the U.S. Supreme Court. Republicans believe HCR 2060 is about securing the border and not about immigration. The Senate reconvenes Tuesday and the House of Representatives on Wednesday. HCR 2060 also makes it a felony to bring fentanyl into the country. Activists have called for a walkout on the measure if it passes. Link to original article: https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/rally-against-secure-the-border-act-takes-place-saturday-at-arizona-state-capitol

Bennett said he has concerns about enforcement against children and families By Manuelita Beck, ABC 15 A Republican state senator says he won't vote for a proposed ballot measure to make illegal immigration a state crime without several changes. House Concurrent Resolution 2060 would, if approved by voters, make it a state crime to cross the Arizona-Mexico border outside of official ports of entry. That would allow local law enforcement to make arrests and local judges to order those convicted to leave the country. The Arizona Senate was scheduled to vote on the measure Tuesday but adjourned for the week without hearing HCR 2060. Sen. Ken Bennett, R-District 1, told reporters on Tuesday the measure needs a number of changes. “There are some things that, if we don't get, I won't vote for it,” he said. Bennett said he doesn’t want HCR 2060 to be applied to Dreamers with DACA status – even if the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is canceled. Bennett also said he has concerns about enforcement against children and families. Backers of the proposed ballot measure say it is a border enforcement measure that won’t be enforced statewide, but opponents have noted that HCR 2060 does not include language restricting it to the border. Saying he is concerned about racial profiling, Bennett said he’s looking at language to address that. "To give state, county and local law enforcement the tools to arrest and detain people who are entering illegally – the farther away you get from the border, that harder it is to maintain the probable cause that I think you'd need to make those detentions,” he said. But any changes, he said, would also have to be acceptable to his fellow Republicans, who have a slim 16-14 majority in the Arizona Senate. Critics such as Living United for Change in Arizona have compared the proposed ballot measure to SB 1070, commonly known as the “Show Me Your Papers Law.” Much of the 2010 Arizona law was thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court because it conflicted with federal law. “And what we're saying and what this community is saying, is that we are a better Arizona, that we're not going back to the politics of hate, that we are standing up,” LUCHA Executive Director Alejandra Gomez told ABC15 at a rally against the measure Saturday. The proposal was introduced May 8 as a strike-everything amendment to an earlier proposed ballot measure to greatly expand the use of E-Verify in Arizona. In addition to making illegal border crossings a state offense, the amended HCR 2060 includes provisions making it a crime to submit false paperwork to a state and local agency when applying for public benefits or to an employer and strengthening the penalty for fentanyl sales in cases where someone has died. Senators are expected to vote on HCR 2060 next week. If it passes the House, voters will see the proposal on their November ballot. Link to original article: https://www.abc15.com/news/48-hours-on-the-border/republican-state-sen-ken-bennett-i-wont-vote-for-immigration-ballot-measure-without-changes

Activists from more than a dozen community and advocacy groups around Arizona rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday morning to protest a piece of legislation they say would target immigrant communities in the state. By Alisa Reznick, KJZZ Fronteras Desk HCR 2060 would make it a crime under state law to enter Arizona outside of a port of entry and give local law enforcement the authority to carry out those arrests. Chris Gilfillan is the political director of LUCHA, one of the groups rallying at the Capitol. "We understand that there needs to be some more federal regulation and border security, and we’re willing to work on that aspect at the federal level, but we’re not going to make immigration a state crime," he said. The legislation follows HB4, a similar law passed in Texas. But Giilfillan says Arizona's version is in some ways more restrictive, because unlike Texas, it would allow police to make arrests inside churches, schools and hospitals. He and dozens of other activists came to the Capitol on Tuesday morning to show their opposition as Senate lawmakers deliberated. "Policies like this get written in silence," he said. "And so we want to make sure that we are seen ... because we don't want our policy governed in silence." The vote is on hold until next week as senators discuss amendments to the measure, including the removal of language targeting undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, known as "Dreamers." Link to original article: https://fronterasdesk.org/content/1879961/rights-groups-rally-az-capitol-protest-gop-led-immigration-measure