Arizona Republicans push back after governor’s ICE Act veto
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — State Republican leaders are pushing back against Gov. Katie Hobbs’ decision to veto a tough immigration bill, the AZ ICE Act, also known as Senate Bill 1164.
Senate President Warren Petersen, a Republican from Gilbert, held a news conference outside the Capitol Monday, condemning the governor’s actions.
The ICE Act would have made it easier for federal authorities to crack down on illegal immigration. The bill called for local officials to share information with immigration agencies about people held in county jails, allowing ICE to place holds on non-citizens.
Supporters argued this would make it easier for ICE to take custody of undocumented immigrants and speed up the deportation process.
Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes said he worked with Arizona leaders and law enforcement on the bill. He said one of the main goals of the bill was to prohibit local governments from enacting sanctuary policies that would conflict with federal laws.
“Law enforcement at the state, local, federal level work together to share information about violent criminals in our communities. Sometimes those elected officials at city council, board of supervisors , they think they know what’s best for law enforcement or they know what’s best for public safety and they need to let law enforcement do their job,” said Rhodes.
In her veto letter to Petersen, the bill’s sponsor, Gov. Hobbs stated, “I will continue to work with the federal government on true border security, but we should not force state and local officials to take marching orders from Washington, DC.”
Peterson said Republican lawmakers will look for other avenues. He said conversations are being had about the possibility of putting the Arizona ICE Act on the November 2026 ballot.
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