The dome atop the Arizona Capitol Museum at the State Capitol in Phoenix. January 2021.
Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill on Monday afternoon that would have allowed state and local law enforcement to arrest people they believe to be in the country illegally.
In her short veto letter, Hobbs told state lawmakers that the bill did nothing to “secure our border, will be harmful for communities and business in our state, and burdensome for law enforcement personnel and the state judicial system.”
She also said it presented “significant constitutional concerns.”
Hobbs’ veto came hours after the U.S. Supreme Court put a similar Texas law on hold that was set to go into effect at the end of the week.
State Senator Janae Shamp, the sponsor of the Arizona bill, quickly criticized Hobbs’ veto.
“The Legislature did its job to protect our citizens, but Governor Hobbs failed to do hers. Vetoing the Arizona Border Invasion Act is a prime example of the chaos Hobbs is unleashing in our state while perpetuating this open border crisis as Biden's accomplice,” Shamp wrote in a news release.
Hobbs’ staff told AZPM last week that the Governor was likely to veto the proposal.
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