(The Center Square) – A key provision in Proposition 314 does not have any explicit funding in Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs’ executive budget proposal released Friday.
Proposition 314 with numerous border and immigration-related policies passed with over 62% support, but the most notable is the ability for local, county and state law enforcement to be able to detain those who allegedly crossed the border illegally, which traditional has been left to federal authorities.
However, the concept is being held up in federal court due to a mirrored proposal in Texas legislation. If it ends up getting the green light, some agencies may be seeking greater funding to enforce it.
“We can’t budget based on hypotheticals … and we’re still waiting on the court cases,” Christian Slater, a spokesman for Hobbs, said. It’s unclear if grant funding provided to authorities could be used for the enforcement of that specific part of Prop. 314.
Proponents argued that it would serve as a necessary enforcement method, specifically when federal border agents may be overwhelmed, whereas opponents, including Hobbs, argued that it was an “unfunded mandate” that could open the door to racial profiling.
Regardless, Republicans remain optimistic that illegal immigration will continue to trend down at the southern border once President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Monday, as he is expected to reinstate policies like “Remain in Mexico” and possibly start mass deportations of the presumably millions of people that crossed illegally during the Biden administration.
The executive budget released Friday afternoon will likely look a lot different than the budget that will actually get passed this session, as the Democratic governor will have to negotiate with Republican leadership in the legislature to strike a deal.
The budget included a wide variety of noteworthy proposals, including adding income levels to the universal Empowerment Scholarship Account program and ending it’s availability to families who make $200,000 a year or more, regardless of how many children are in the household.
As for other border-related funding, the Hobbs administration is proposing $14 million in “one-time” spending from the general fund, $5 million in “ongoing” funding, and $1 million in the federal American Rescue Plan Act to support the continuance of the “Stopping Arizona’s Fentanyl Epidemic” effort, also known as the SAFE initiative.
