PHOENIX — The fight to keep a proposed border initiative off Arizona’s Nov. 5 ballot is not over yet.

Immigrant advocates kept the issue alive this week by filing notice to the state Supreme Court that they will appeal the judge’s ruling.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge on July 12 rejected an effort by the advocates to keep the proposed initiative off the ballot. The advocates argue that the measure breaks the rules because it deals with more than a single subject.

Attorney Andy Gaona, who represents some of the groups, said Friday he was working on legal briefs in the cased that were due later in the day. The Legislature will have until July 26 to respond, he said.

“We do think that single subject provision was violated,” Gaona said. “We hope that the court agrees.”

Supporters of the initiative argue that it deals with a single subject: the border.

The GOP-controlled Legislative in early June voted to allow to proposal to be placed on the ballot, asking voters if local law enforcement should be allowed to arrest migrants who cross illegally from Mexico into Arizona between ports of entry. The measure would also give state judges the power to order people convicted of the offense to return to their countries of origin.

It is similar to a Texas law that has been put on hold by a federal appeals court while it is being challenged.

Unlike the Texas law, Arizona’s proposal would also make it a felony punishable by 10 years of imprisonment for selling fentanyl that leads to a person’s death. Also included is a requirement that some government agencies use a federal database to verify a noncitizen’s eligibility for benefits.

The Republican-backed proposal bypasses Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who had vetoed a similar measure in early March and has denounced the effort to bring the issue to voters.

Supporters of the bill said it was necessary to ensure security along the state’s southern border, and that Arizona voters should be given the opportunity to decide the issue themselves. Opponents say the legislation would lead to racial profiling and create several millions of dollars in additional policing costs that Arizona cities, counties and the state can ill afford.

The measure would go before voters in a state expected to play a crucial role in determining which party controls the White House and the U.S. Senate — likely razor-close races in Arizona. Republicans hope it will focus attention on the border, which they accuse Biden of mishandling, and dilute the political benefits Democrats seek from an abortion-rights initiative.

Disorder on the border is a top motivator for many Republican voters who former President Donald Trump hopes will vote in big numbers.

President Joe Biden in early June unveiled plans to restrict the number of migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

This isn’t the first time Republican lawmakers in Arizona have tried to criminalize migration.

When passing a much-debated 2010 immigration bill, the Arizona Legislature considered expanding the state’s trespassing law to criminalize the presence of immigrants and impose criminal penalties. But the trespassing language was removed and replaced with a requirement that officers, while enforcing other laws, question people’s immigration status if they were believed to be in the country illegally.

The questioning requirement was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court despite the racial profiling concerns of critics. But courts barred enforcement of other sections of the law.

Former President Donald Trump took the stage at the 2024 Republican National Convention Thursday, capping off four days of speeches, parties and more.

Arizona played a part in the convention. Forty-three delegates voted to formally nominate Donald Trump as the Republican presidential candidate. Three “everyday Americans” and a U.S. candidate from Arizona spoke at a convention in Milwaukee, highlighting immigration issues and the drug crisis.

Here’s everything you need to know about all the Arizona moments from the 2024 Republican National Convention.

Fake ear bandages: ‘The newest fashion trend’

Among the sea of people wearing the distinctive red “Make America Great Again” hats on Monday and Tuesday, several attendees sported makeshift bandages on their ears, the latest fashion accessory some are using to showcase their loyalty to former President Donald Trump after he wore one during his convention appearance Monday.

Joe Neglia, a 63-year-old delegate from Tempe, said the prop he wore on his right ear was an homage to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. In an interview with CBS News, he called it “the newest fashion trend” and added that he crafted the fake bandage while on the bus to the second day of the convention.

“It’s just in sympathy with Donald Trump,” Neglia told The Guardian. “I saw that man get shot; I thought that man has almost given his life for his country; he deserves some respect for that.”

‘Americans are waking up to the truth’

Kari Lake, a Trump-endorsed Senate candidate, will be on Arizona’s 2024 ballot. A name already familiar to many Arizona voters after she lost the 2022 race for governor, Lake was at the convention to show support for the former president and promote her own campaign.

Lake began her address by calling out the media members in the venues. The former Fox 10 anchor claimed the media has been lying about ‘everything,’ but most importantly, Trump and his supporters.

“The really good thing is that every day, more and more people are turning off the fake news,” Lake said. “And Americans are waking up to the truth about the disastrous Democrat policies pushed by Joe Biden and his favorite congressman, and my opponent, Ruben Gallego.”

She blamed Gallego for allowing criminals and drugs to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, a topic frequently discussed during the convention. She also took aim at “indoctrination” in schools and “Bidenomics,” pledging to eliminate both when she and Trump take office.

 ‘Who doesn’t miss the Trump days?’

Sara Workman is a single mother who feels the pressure of rising gas and grocery prices. She told the audience that going to the gas pump makes her wonder, ‘Who doesn’t miss the Trump days?’

“But it’s not just the economic pain we’re all feeling under Joe Biden. It’s how they’re destroying the American spirit,” Workman said.

Many “everyday American” speakers shared that inflation during Biden’s term has caused them to struggle to provide their families with basic needs. But Workman also shared how Democratic border policies have contributed to her husband “falling victim” to the drug epidemic, leaving her to take care of their son by herself.

“While the left is trying to divide us with identity politics, we are here tonight because we believe that America is always, and should be, one nation under God,” she said.

Echoing the hopes of other Republicans at the convention, Workman said she will be voting for Trump to restore the economy and preserve the American family.

‘Small towns like mine bear the brunt of the chaos’

David Lara, a Yuma-based business owner, shared the story of his hometown of San Luis. His small city sits approximately 70 miles from the Mexican border and has been directly affected by the difference between Biden’s and Trump’s attitudes toward border security.

His community has seen schoolchildren being exposed to drugs and hospitals being overwhelmed by migrant care. During Biden’s term, Lara said the president had never visited his town or properly addressed the severity of the border crisis.

“San Luis wasn’t always this way. And Joe Biden, Kamala Harris do not care,” Lara said. 

Lara remembers Trump in San Luis while on a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border. This memory and the former president’s promise to prioritize increased immigration security is why Lara said he will vote for him in November.

‘It’s chemical warfare’

Jim and Sue Chilton, a couple married for 60 years, own a ranch in Arivaca that lines 5.5 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. According to Jim Chilton, thousands of illegal immigrants have entered the family ranch claiming economic asylum, leading to death and violence on their land.

“Every time Jim leaves the ranch house, I have to worry that he won’t come back alive,” Sue Chilton said.

Agreeing with many other Republican speakers like Lara and Workman, the Chiltons condemned the flow of drugs into the U.S. and attributed the increased crime and violence in their community to weak border security.

“The cartel drug smugglers are crossing our nation’s borders every day. They are bringing lethal drugs into our country,” Sue Chilton said. “This is chemical warfare.”

The two ranchers said they were voting for Trump so the border wall that fences their ranch can finally be completed and ranchers along the Arizona border can feel safe again.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Arizona State Representative Tim Dunn and Democratic Strategist Karl Gentles both tuned in and came away with  mixed reviews.

“I think it was classic Trump high on hyperbole very low on substance and policy matters,” said Gentles.

“President Trump came across very well he was very somber when he started,” said Representative Dunn.

During his speech Trump addressed the assasination attempt, and the firefighter who died that day.

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for others. This is the spirit that forged America in her darkest hours and this is the love that will lead America back to the summit of human achievement and greatness,” said Trump.

He also accepted the GOP nomination.

Representative Dunn wanted to hear insight on the president’s goals, and he feel’s like he got it.

“I Think he touched the critical points that are important especially for Yuma, Arizona, when he said drill baby drill we’re going to reduce the cost of energy that is huge for Yuma, Arizona and our agriculture industry,” said Representative Dunn.

While Gentles feels the former president didn’t offer much new information. 

“Very very short on substance and policy from my perspective, I do think that the themes in his speech did mirror one policy perspective though which was project 2025,” said Gentles.

According to the project’s website, it’s goal is to help establish a conservative administration.

With the election less than four months away, Gentles advises voters to stay informed.

“Do your research and be an informed voter that’s what we need, and I think if you’re an informed voter you’ll make the right decision,” said Gentles.

The democratic national convention will take place in August on the 19th through the 21st in Chicago.