ARIZONA BORDER AND IMMIGRATION NEWS
Arizona demands border payback, requesting nearly $1 billion from federal government
Gov. Hobbs and Arizona sheriffs filed for federal reimbursement of border security costs spent fighting drug trafficking and human smuggling.
Immigrants from Haiti wait to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol after crossing through a gap in the U.S.-Mexico border barrier on May 20, 2022, in Yuma, Arizona. The state has since spent nearly $1 billion on border security and enforcement, costs Gov. Katie Hobbs and Arizona sheriffs are now asking the federal government to pay back. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Gov. Katie Hobbs and a group of Arizona sheriffs asked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reimburse the state for nearly $1 billion spent on border security and enforcement over the past five years.
The request covers costs the state says it spent during prolonged federal inaction at the southern border, including more than $710 million for joint state-federal operations and over $192 million to support local law enforcement fighting border-related crime.
Programs cited in the application include local border support, including Operation Desert Guardian and the Arizona National Guard’s Task Force SAFE.
“Arizona has done the federal government’s job for far too long, and it is time for Washington to pay its bill,” Hobbs said in a statement.
The governor said she appreciates Congress dedicating funds to repay states and looks forward to working with the Department of Homeland Security to secure the money.
Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse and Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels joined Hobbs in making the request, saying their departments have been stretched thin by the costs of intercepting drugs, combating cartels and addressing other cross-border crimes.
“Local taxpayers should not be footing the bill for a secure border,” Clouse said.
Dannels said while the border is now more secure, he wants the federal government to settle what he described as an unresolved financial burden on the state’s citizens.
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"Gov. Katie Hobbs and a group of Arizona sheriffs asked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reimburse the state for nearly $1 billion spent on border security and enforcement over the past five years.
The request covers costs the state says it spent during prolonged federal inaction at the southern border ..."
Trump secured the border .. finally. Did she ever go after Biden for his actions on OPENING the border when he was in charge, well in office. He was never IN charge.
She is running for re-election and her infamous "how I would secure the border" when she ran for Governor, was a total disaster. She needs to counter that narrative.
She is full of it! The border was closed and the most secure the last 5 years.
She is making it up!
Yet you've never spent any time near the border. Kick rocks