(The Center Square) – Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs made a stop at the southern border in Nogales on Monday as sweeping federal policy changes are expected with the incoming Trump administration.
Hobbs touted Task Force SAFE, a state-based operation created in July, for confiscating over 6 million fentanyl pills and 1,400 of other illicit drugs.
“In Arizona, we are making our communities safer and our border more secure,” Hobbs said in a statement. “While we’ve made significant progress, our mission is not over until every Arizonan is free from the threat of drug-related crime and addiction. I’m grateful to the hardworking men and women behind Task Force SAFE for their work to protect Arizonans and stop the flow of dangerous drugs into our state, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that their success continues.”
Critics noted the timing of the status update on the effort following Republicans expanding their majorities in the state Legislature, as well as former President Donald Trump expected to launch major border changes, including returning the “Remain in Mexico” policy and mass deportations for migrants who crossed the border illegally.
“Arizonans know that Hobbs has been pushing the same open border agenda that just brought down the Biden-Harris Administration, and they are ready to hold her accountable,” Republican Governors Association Rapid Response Director Kollin Crompton said in a statement.
Following her visit, Senate President Warren Petersen told Fox 10 Phoenix that a greater security focus is needed from the governor on the border.
“Unfortunately, her words and her actions have not really matched. She has done things as far as on the humanitarian side of things, but the problem with just focusing on the humanitarian issues is is you make Arizona a magnet,” Petersen told the television station.
Hobbs said she’s willing to work with Trump on border issues, but appeared to push back when asked about the possibility of mass deportations. In addition, she’s slammed Proposition 314, which passed by a wide margin to allow local and state authorities to enforce federal border laws, as an unfunded mandate.
“I will not tolerate misguided policies that don’t actually help with the critical work we are doing here today that actually keeps our communities safe and secure,” Hobbs said, The Center Square reported.
More than 565,000 migrant encounters occurred in Arizona’s two border sectors in fiscal year 2024 alone, as drug trafficking continues to be a major issue at the ports of entry and into the country’s interior.
