Proposition 314 would make it a state crime to enter Arizona by crossing the state’s border with Mexico outside of a legal port of entry, and it would empower local and state law enforcement to arrest people for violating that law.
Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), Poder in Action and other groups argued the proposal, referred to the ballot by Republican lawmakers, runs afoul of the state Constitution, claiming it deals with a broad range of unrelated topics.
Specifically, the groups claimed separate sections dealing with illegal border crossings and fentanyl trafficking violate a state constitutional provision requiring individual pieces of legislation to stick to a single subject.
But, last week, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Minder disagreed. He found all parts of the bill related to problems resulting from an unsecured border.
Jim Barton, an attorney for LUCHA, said the plaintiffs have filed an appeal with the Arizona Supreme Court.
The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office said the case must be resolved by Aug. 22 so ballots can be printed, according to a scheduling order signed by Supreme Court Justice Kathryn King.
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The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office says protesters were arrested on disorderly conduct charges just east of the Santa Cruz County line, where a group had gathered inside a wall construction zone. -
The Department of Justice filed suit against Arizona's law at the end of August. Legal filings against the remaining laws — in Hawaii, D.C., Arkansas and Utah — were filed this month, bringing the total number of tuition-related suits to 25. -
More than 30,000 refugees, asylees and other legally present immigrants in Arizona could lose health coverage in a few weeks as new Medicaid eligibility rules take effect. -
More than two decades ago, the 9/11 terror attacks touched every aspect of life in America — including for newcomers, who were in the midst of immigration processes, like seeking U.S. citizenship. -
The class consists of about 30 immigrants protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.
