Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs says she is frustrated with the lack of communication from the White House as the Trump administration rolls out its new border policies.
President Donald Trump has signed off on numerous executive orders and policy changes designed to fulfill his promise to secure the southern border and increase deportations of people in the country without legal status. That includes directives sending active duty military to the border and authorizing immigration officers to make arrests in once-off-limit areas, like schools and churches.
After Trump’s election victory, Hobbs, a Democrat, did not rule out cooperating with the new Republican administration on border security, though she indicated she would not support any efforts to deport Dreamers, undocumented residents brought to the U.S. as children who have received temporary protection from deportation.
Hobbs said she has directed her staff to keep in close contact with Trump’s border czar Tom Homan and federal immigration authorities.
“I will say it’s been more than a little frustrating as a border state governor who has taken a lot of action to help keep our border safe and secure that we’re not getting a lot of information and things are being announced without talking to us first,” Hobbs said.
Hobbs said she would like to see the new administration better communicate with states before rolling out new policies.
“I think largely just the announcements coming out of Washington that we’re not being told about first, like sending military but we don’t know what that looks like,” she said.
Hobbs' border security efforts have largely focused on sending resources and manpower to assist law enforcement in disrupting drug and human trafficking and other border-related crimes.
Her budget proposal this year includes an additional $20 million for that effort — something local Republicans said is not enough.
“And I would note that, while you're spending $23 million, the previous administration spent $600 million on the border, so I think there's a bit of an imbalance in resources,” said Rep. Matt Gress (R-Phoenix), who was former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s budget director.
Republican state lawmakers are also pushing legislation that would require Arizona officials to cooperate with federal mass deportation efforts.
Senate President Warren Petersen’s Senate Bill 1164 would require sheriffs and the Department of Corrections to enter into agreements with the federal government to support enforcement of immigration laws.
Petersen said he believes the bill will support Trump’s mass deportation effort and is in line with Hobbs’ comments about cooperating with the new administration.
“I feel like this is something that is common sense that fits into what she said she would do,” he said.
And Rep. Teresa Martinez (R-Casa Grande) is running her own bill that would require the governor and attorney general to cooperate with federal agencies to enforce immigration laws.
