PHOENIX — Voters will decide ballot measures on abortion and immigration in Arizona, a key battleground state where Republicans are looking to capitalize on concerns about illegal border crossings to counter an expected increase in turnout by people determined to restore and protect abortion rights.
And while the abortion initiative is bolstered by a citizen-led campaign flush with cash, the GOP lawmakers who added a measure to empower state law enforcers to crack down on people who are in Arizona illegally say it already has so much momentum that they don’t plan to raise money or spend much time selling it.
Abortion has many people fired up since an 1864 law banning nearly all abortions was revived and then quickly repealed this year. But immigration consistently ranks as a top concern in this western swing state, where anti-immigration legislation has long fueled national debates over illegal crossings from Mexico.
Arizona state House Speaker Ben Toma voted with fellow Republicans in June to put the measure on the ballot. He called it common sense and just a small part of “what actually needs to happen to secure the border.”
Frustration over illegal immigration persists despite moves by the Biden-Harris administration this year to shut down what had been an unprecedented surge in new arrivals. Democrats blame former President Donald Trump for making it a top campaign issue by persuading allies in Congress to torpedo bipartisan legislation that could have bolstered the federal response.
Republican lawmakers across the country this year have pushed tougher immigration policies, with their majorities in Texas, Iowa and Oklahoma passing laws to conduct immigration enforcement at the state level. But in each of those states, federal courts blocked their efforts to enforce the laws.
The measure would make it a state crime for noncitizens to illegally cross from Mexico into Arizona outside authorized ports of entry. The crime would enable local police to arrest violators and state judges to order deportations, which are roles historically left to the federal government.
The measure also would require state agencies that administer federal, state or local benefit programs to use a federal database to verify that no ineligible noncitizens get the benefits. And it would shield law enforcement from civil lawsuits alleging racial profiling of Latinos or other minorities.
Some of its provisions aren’t directly related to illegal immigration, including making selling fentanyl that leads to a person’s death a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Latino groups argued this violates a state constitutional requirement that legislative proposals cover a single subject. The Arizona Supreme Court disagreed, clearing to a path for voters to decide.
Opponents argue the immigration legislation would harm Arizona’s reputation and economy even more than a so-called “show me your papers” law approved by lawmakers in 2010 that was partially stuck down by the U.S. Supreme Court two years later.
The cost also worries some mayors, county officials and law enforcement leaders who warn that diverting resources to border security could deprive their day-to-day operations and essential public services.
An Associated Press review of state campaign finance records found no contributions specifically supporting Proposition 314, nor any donations explicitly against it.
Toma said Republicans are spending their time, money and energy on competitive races and other statewide ballot measures, with 13 in all. At stake is not only control of the U.S. Senate and White House, but also the state Legislature. Republicans have a one-seat majority in each chamber and Democrats hope to regain power for the first time in decades.
FILE – Opponents to an immigration proposal gather inside the Arizona State Capitol, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
