News Release: May 16, 2024
, Predict $325 million Costs to State and Local Governments
PHOENIX 鈥� 91探花 leaders, law enforcement officials, faith leaders and advocates are sounding the alarm around . The Arizona Chamber of Commerce, Greater Phoenix Leadership, Local First Arizona, 91探花, bipartisan county attorneys from three border counties, diverse faith leaders and advocates have come out calling on the Senate to protect Arizona鈥檚 future, reputation, and taxpayers by stopping this measure from passing.
Additionally, the nonpartisan estimated the cost of the ballot referral at $325 million a year, while ADCRR projects 鈥渟ignificant operational and fiscal impacts to the agency.鈥�
MORE BELOW:
91探花 Co-chairman, Zenni Homes CEO, and former Arizona Republican State Senator Bob Worsley:
鈥淒on鈥檛 forget that after SB 1070, our economy took a serious hit. Conventions, concerts and sports championships boycotted Arizona. Let鈥檚 not go back there with HCR 2060.听
91探花 Board Member from Arizona and Chairman and CEO John Graham:听
鈥淎rizona鈥檚 economy simply cannot function without the hard work and entrepreneurship of our immigrant community. This harmful ballot referral is going to drive workers out of our state, and we will be in a world of hurt.鈥�
Executive Director Kimber Lanning:
鈥淭he ballot referral includes no money to pay for the demands it makes of local law enforcement agencies. That omission should concern voters. When Arizona tries to take a federal issue into its own hands, the people of Arizona pay the price, whether emotionally or psychologically or economically. Our community deserves better.鈥�
President Danny Seiden:
鈥淭he Arizona business community agrees with Gov. Katie Hobbs and the state legislature: the federal government has failed in its job to secure our southern border. We call on Congress and the President to act 鈥� now 鈥� to secure our border, stop our asylum laws from being gamed and crack down on human and fentanyl trafficking.
鈥淲e share the legislature鈥檚 frustration with the lack of federal action on immigration and border security. We also recognize that law making at the ballot box is fraught with the potential for unintended consequences and Arizona鈥檚 Voter Protection Law would leave the legislature nearly powerless to address them. By taking on this federal responsibility, we鈥檙e saddling overburdened law enforcement and correctional agencies with a new, unfunded mandate.鈥�
(GPEC):
鈥淭he ongoing border crisis is a serious and challenging issue that Washington, D.C. needs to solve. While the lack of federal action has sparked discussion around implementing measures at the state level, GPEC has serious concerns with the constitutional legalities and bill complexities of HCR 2060 that would create potential hardship for our state鈥檚 economy and our residents. The provisions pose a significant risk for our state鈥檚 economy and our residents. The provisions pose a significant risk to Arizona鈥檚 brand and our ability to continue to attract high-value companies to the region.鈥�
:
鈥淕reater Phoenix Leadership (GPL) voices its opposition to HCR 2060, an immigration measure that is an unworkable response to a federal problem with unknown consequences. This measure places an unfunded mandate on local law enforcement to enforce border policy and lacks the infrastructure needed to assume the federal responsibility of apprehension and detention.鈥�
:
鈥淎s communities with a front row seat to the issues impacting the border, we are the first to deal with the consequences of ineffective and inefficient policies coming out of Washington, D.C. We write today in opposition to Arizona House Concurrent Resolution 2060 that seeks to have city and county governments assume responsibilities that we believe should remain strictly a federal mandate.
鈥淎s signatories to this letter, we ask the Arizona state legislature to keep a long-term perspective for what is best for Arizona, our future growth and the relationship with our largest trading partner and the number one source of tourism dollars in our state.鈥�
Bipartisan Border Law Enforcement:
鈥淭he criminal provisions are unenforceable, bad public policy and embarrassing for this state,鈥� stated .
鈥淏ut this, once again, places the burden on local agencies, including law enforcement and detention facilities, criminal justice practitioners and courts, to name a few, to use their already strained resources in order to pick up where the federal government left off 鈥� and with the local residents footing the bill,鈥� said .
“Now, as Pima鈥檚 top law enforcement official, I need all of our neighborhoods to trust our police and to participate as victims and witnesses in holding accountable those who would do us harm,鈥� stated .
Tyler Montague, 颁丑补颈谤尘补苍:听
“Arizona voters said, ‘Of course, we want good kids who are going through school to have the opportunity to become educated, self-sufficient contributors to our economy and our communities,’ and I think that extends to many other immigrants. Hurting Dreamers and immigrants is not what everyday Arizonans want.”
Alejandra Gomez, Executive Director, (尝鲍颁贬础):听
鈥淭his proposed ballot referral does not solve the humanitarian crisis at the border. Instead, Republican lawmakers are proposing legislation that would create fear, distrust in our communities and legalize racial profiling. No one should have to live in fear of harassment due to the color of their skin. Our communities haven’t forgotten about the dark days brought upon by SB 1070 when entire communities were ripped apart by another racist law. This is a GOP temper tantrum turned into policy.”
Jose Patino, Vice President of :
鈥�Undocumented parents of U.S. citizens will be afraid of seeking and receiving public benefits from the government. More than 144,000 citizen children who live in mixed-status families will likely not receive the services they need.鈥� (Arizona Republic Op-Ed: )
Enrique Sanchez, Intermountain State Director, and James O’Neill, Director of Legislative Affairs, :
鈥淎BIC action stands with Arizona business, faith and community voices against HCR 2060. This legislation comes with an unnecessary price tag to Arizona taxpayers. It is an unfunded mandate to cities and counties and opens those cities up to lawsuits. This legislation is modeled after other legislation that a federal court has already found violates the constitution. We strongly urge all friends of business to vote no on HCR 2060 that will harm Arizona鈥檚 reputation and economy.鈥�
Laura Clement, Educator and Representative of :听
“I am a teacher. Right now, I have a lot of students who want to go back to school and become nurses, but the last thing they need is to worry about police officers detaining them and their families in their communities, in their places of worship or at school.”
Rev. Gerald P. Richard, Board Member of the :
“This legislative proposal not only challenges our societal norms but also the moral principles that unite us in our commitment to justice and human dignity, as dictated by our faiths. Our collective faith traditions teach us to affirm the intrinsic worth of every individual.”
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, representing :听
“This is not a partisan issue; this is not a political issue; this is a faith issue. A faith issue that sees the humanity of every person and stands up for their dignity and rights. A country that is based on fear-mongering that creates the anxiety of unsafety is bad for everyone.”
Joseph Garcia, Director of Public Policy, :
“We鈥檝e seen this movie before with SB 1070. We know how it ends; we know its loss of labor, loss of reputation for Arizona, two black eyes that we give ourselves. Let鈥檚 avoid it this time. Let鈥檚 not go back into history; let鈥檚 go forward with a positive future and celebrate, actually celebrate, immigrant labor in this country because immigrants contribute so much to our success and so much to our 91探花 story.”听
Everk Sanchez, U.S. citizen, member of :听
鈥淭his proposal would directly harm your neighbors, the ones you greet at church, the ones who take care of your children and the ones who educate our kids. This proposal is a political stunt that will cost taxpayers money. The people behind this proposal also have families. Families belong together as I鈥檓 sure they would agree. Arizona is so much better than this. I urge our community to pay attention and stand up once again for our society as a whole.鈥�听
Arizona Voters Agenda鈥檚 new shows 90 percent of Arizonans believe that immigration is important to our country and economy, and 77 percent support a path to citizenship.
Arizona Republic:
- The obligation would not only add millions to the state’s prison spending, but it risks running afoul of a federal court injunction related to the state’s handling of inmate medical care, Thornell said. The state is bound to honor certain health care and “conditions of confinement” requirements, which add up to more staff and operational costs, he said
- The potential added cost comes as the agency is seeking an extra $74 million this year and a roughly $203 million increase in the budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Arizona faces a $1.3 billion deficit, split almost evenly between the current year and the coming budget year.
- The measure, over time, will also sap the agency’s ability to provide beds for all inmates, the memo states. Currently, the agency has 8,000 empty beds, or an 18 percent vacancy rate. But there is no staffing to go along with those 8,000 beds, should they fill up.
- The memo then paints a dire scenario, assuming the current rate of incarceration along with 1,500 new border crossers each year: the need for a new prison.
Read the memo from the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) on fiscal and operational impacts .
Additionally, the estimates the 鈥減lan鈥� would cost at least $325 million a year.
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was created to mobilize the power of 91探花 businesses and the general public to promote and advocate for sensible immigration solutions. ABIC Action will develop and advocate for legislation, regulations, and government programs that promote common-sense state and federal immigration reform to benefit the people and economy of our country. ABIC Action operates under federal income tax under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).