Gov. Katie Hobbs says she’s ‘very optimistic’ about Trump administration’s actions on border security

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said she’s looking forward to working with the Trump administration on securing the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona.

“They are taking border security seriously,” Hobbs told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce and Gaydos on Tuesday. “As a border state governor who has been calling for resources for the last two years, their posture on the border is — I’m very optimistic about it.”

She joined the studio live a few hours after creating Operation Desert Guardian, a new border security task force, via executive order.

The new operation builds on the work of Task Force SAFE, which is made up of members of the Arizona National Guard and was created to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection efforts to keep drugs from entering the state from Mexico.

“It’s been really successful … 19 million fentanyl pills kept off the streets of the U.S. through that operation,” Hobbs said. “I’m focused on taking real action and making sure that the limited resources we have are being effectively utilized and it’s not about political posturing or or photo ops, but really getting the job done.”

Hobbs: Arizona border officials getting more help under new administration

On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump accused Hobbs of doing nothing to secure the border. However, Hobbs said the extent that state authorities can do is limited by how willing to cooperate federal authorities are.

“The state has limited resources, and we really need federal cooperation to make operations like this more successful,” Hobbs said. “I’ve spent the last two years working directly with local law enforcement and our border sheriffs and looking at how we can most effectively deploy those resources and taking the steps possible with the resources and the federal cooperation that we had.”

Compared to the Biden administration, the Trump administration is taking far more decisive actions when it comes to protecting the nation’s borders, she added.

“We’re in different circumstances now with the federal government and their willingness to take more aggressive action on the border,” Hobbs said. “Having their willingness to take more aggressive action on the border and having their willingness to work with us on this action is really critical.”

Has Hobbs spoken with President Donald Trump yet?

While she hasn’t spoken with President Trump yet, she said she’s working closely with members of his Cabinet, as well as members of the Department of Homeland Security, about securing the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona.

“They’ve already deployed hundreds of active duty military, including 500 here to Fort Huachuca,” Hobbs said. “I’m, again, incredibly optimistic about the opportunity to work with them on that.”

She could do without the chaos, however.

“Things are a little chaotic right now, and so there’s a lot of funding that has been cut off,” Hobbs said. “It’s challenging as a state who gets a significant amount of federal money.”

Recently, Grand Canyon National Park visitors were warned about long entry lines after Trump administration layoffs hit Arizona’s most popular tourist attraction.

“It’s a huge destination for people around the world that brings in jobs. It brings in dollars by people spending their their vacation dollars here in Arizona,” Hobbs said. “I think some of these decisions are being made rashly without a lot of consideration about the actual impact that they’ll have.”

Hobbs joined the show hosts live in the studio for the first segment in a new and exclusive KTAR News series. She’s set to join the show every other Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. to speak on a variety of topics that impact Arizona voters.

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