Arizona’s Tough Anti-Immigrant Law to Be Decided at the Ballot Box
Undocumented migrants at the U.S. border. X/ @VictorNieblas
October 25, 2024 Hour: 1:50 pm
If approved, Proposition 314 would make crossing the border irregularly a state crime.
On Friday, U.S. citizens residing in Arizona are heading to the polls to decide on an amendment that would pave the way for one of the strictest anti-immigrant laws in the country.
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Over 600,000 voters from the Phoenix area have already cast their ballots in the 2024 elections, which include Proposition 314, a measure that would make crossing the border irregularly a state crime. If the initiative is approved, as the polls suggest, the measure would allow state and local police to arrest undocumented immigrants and enforce federal immigration laws.
On Thursday, Republican candidate Donald Trump once again lashed out against illegal immigration in Tempe, Arizona, stating that “the United States is the trash can of the world” when referring to the arrival of immigrants from various countries.
According to a Highground Public Affairs Consultants poll, with a margin of error of 4.3 points, 58 percent of surveyed citizens would vote in favor of the proposal, 14 percent would vote against it, and the rest are undecided.
The initiative would also impose severe penalties on those who apply for public benefits using false documentation, as well as on those who sell and traffic fentanyl. Proposal 314 is similar to another state law already in effect in Texas. Both aim to address the migrant crisis at the border and fentanyl trafficking.
However, migrant advocates and Arizona’s chambers of commerce have opposed the measure, claiming it will only stoke fear and harassment against the Latino community.
Proposition 314 is being compared to the controversial SB1070 law, approved in 2010 and known as the “show me your papers” law, which gave local police the authority to question the immigration status of individuals detained, even for minor traffic violations. This part of SB1070 remains in effect; however, police are now required to contact immigration services to process the detainee.
Proposition 314 takes things a step further, allowing police to act as immigration agents—to question, detain, and incarcerate migrants who have crossed the border irregularly. The proposal has also been heavily criticized by various police chiefs in the state, as it does not provide additional funding for its implementation.
Nevertheless, Proposition 314 has supporters, including John Ladd, the owner of a ranch on the Arizona-Mexico border in the Tucson Sector, one of the most frequently crossed areas along the border. “The border is completely open; we have migrants from all over the world, and Arizona is one of the main drug corridors. This legislation would be a great help,” he said.
However, crossings have significantly decreased this year following asylum restrictions imposed in June by the administration of President Joe Biden. That policy has led to a 55 percent drop in apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Additionally, according to official data, the country repatriated over 700,000 migrants in fiscal year 2024, the highest number recorded since 2010, giving the Biden Administration a record that surpasses that of the Trump administration (2017-2021).
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE
