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 Maricopa County Medical Examiner determined that a Haitian man’s death while in ICE custody was caused by a severe infection related to dental issues. That comes after the man’s family accused immigration agents of failing to provide proper treatment for a toothache. -
The city of Phoenix has launched a multilingual platform where residents can report concerns or incidents related to federal law enforcement activity within the city. The Federal Enforcement Complaint Reporting Portal is available at the Community Transparency Initiative webpage. -
U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego called on his fellow lawmakers to reform the nation’s immigration laws to protect long-time undocumented residents who were brought to the country as children. -
Pinal County leaders say the top local prosecutor having partnered with ICE is weakening his office’s ability to try local cases. -
Federal agents are investigating the deaths of six people thought to be immigrants found inside a shipping container at a Union Pacific rail yard near the border with Mexico in Laredo, Texas, on Sunday as a "potential human smuggling event."
