PHOENIX, AZ – A group of Arizona lawmakers are calling on Governor Doug Ducey to take further action to protect Arizona by declaring a state of emergency in response to the border crisis. The legislators made the request in a letter sent to the governor on Tuesday.
The legislators are urging the governor to “consider declaring a state of emergency, utilize the National Guard to assist as permitted to secure Arizona’s southern border, and immediately seek support from the Mexican government to assist the state in stopping this unprecedented surge.”
“While the responsibility rightfully belongs to the federal government, the price for their failure is borne by border states like Arizona, and we can no longer sit back and wait for the federal government to act, particularly when we know that this administration is determined to aggravate the crisis, not resolve it,” said State Senator David Livingston. “They want this crisis, and Arizona should act to stop it.”
According to the United States Attorney’s Office District of Arizona August 2021 Immigration and Border Crimes Report:
212 individuals were charged in August with illegal reentry
A. 180 of those 212 individuals had previously been convicted of non-immigration criminal offenses in the U.S.
Of the 180 individuals with non-immigration criminal records:
1. 42 had violent crime convictions, including:
4 individuals had homicide convictions
6 individuals had sex offense convictions
12 individuals had domestic violence convictions
2. 13 had property crime convictions
3. 37 had DUI convictions
4. 98 had drug crime convictions
B. 125 of those 180 individuals had been deported three or more times
Legislators’ letter:
Dear Governor Ducey,
The invasion of America’s southern border has become a national emergency. We are witnessing a surge like we have never experienced before. In April of this year, you took the lead and asked President Biden for resources to assist in the influx of illegal immigrants. To this day, the Biden-Harris administration continues to ignore the safety of our citizens and has allowed the nation’s border to be overrun.
The Biden-Harris open border policy is destroying our country. We expect the president and his administration to assist our homeless veterans and struggling citizens. Instead, he is using federal tax dollars to house, feed, and provide health care to thousands of illegal immigrants who have willfully violated our laws. This administration is demanding that all Americans must get vaccinated for COVID-19. Yet, they make no such demand upon the thousands coming into our country illegally. Moreover, we will not tolerate the Biden-Harris administration’s disregard of female military servicemembers and Border Patrol agents who endure sexual assault and harassment from illegal immigrants.
This willful invasion on our nation must end immediately. The duty to stop the illegal flow across our southern border rests solely on the federal government. The Biden-Harris administration’s resistance, and utter failure, to fulfil its responsibility is a disgrace.
If the Biden-Harris administration does not care about the well-being and safety of its citizens, then it is up to the State of Arizona to do what it can. We respectfully urge you to consider declaring a state of emergency, utilize the National Guard to assist as permitted to secure Arizona’s southern border, and immediately seek support from the Mexican government to assist the state in stopping this unprecedented surge.
Sincerely,
Rep. Leo Biasiucci, LD 5 Rep. Mark Finchem, LD 11 Rep. Walter Blackman, LD 6 Rep. Jake Hoffman, LD 12 Rep. Judy Burges, LD 1 Rep. Quang Nguyen, LD 1 Rep. John Fillmore, LD 16 Rep. Jacqueline Parker, LD 16 Rep. Steve Kaiser, LD 15 Rep. David Cook, LD 8 Rep. Joseph Chaplik, LD 23 Rep. Beverly Pingerelli, LD 21 Rep. Brenda Barton, LD 6 Rep. Kevin Payne, LD 21 Rep. Frank Carroll, LD 22 Rep. John Kavanagh, LD 23 Rep. Shawnna Bolick, LD 20 Rep. Tim Dunn, LD 13 Sen. Sonny Borrelli, LD 5 Sen. Wendy Rogers, LD 6 Sen. David Livingston, LD 22 Sen. Sine Kerr, LD 13 Sen. Nancy Barto, LD 15 Sen. Warren Petersen, LD 12