step by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs Removing the state’s border-striking force is drawing criticism from Republicans in the state — even though it has the support of at least one Democrat.
Hobbs, a Democrat, said she plans to redirect funding for the strike force, which was set up by former Gov. Doug Ducey in 2015, and said the money could be used to coordinate a law enforcement response at the border.
“What our budget intends to do is reallocate those dollars to where they can be most useful. I’ve said this before, recent reports have indicated that it’s not strength, it’s not border-beating, and so we can reallocate those dollars to where they can be most.” Benefit in terms of coordinating the law enforcement response at the border,” she said during a tour of the border with home security Secretary Alexandre Mallorcas.
According to its website, the force is part of the Arizona Department of Public Safety and “not only targets border crime, but provides a comprehensive, collaborative approach to help secure Arizona’s borders and thwart transnational criminal organizations.”
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FILE – Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs delivers the State of the State Address at the Arizona Capitol Building in Phoenix, January 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, file)
The agency’s mission includes identifying and targeting transnational criminal organizations and strengthening deterrence efforts targeting smugglers and drug dealers.
“SS operations focus on roving criminal interdiction patrol detail, intelligence-led remote area operations, departure detail, and deterrent saturation patrols to identify, deter, disrupt, and dismantle criminal organizations,” the report says.
However, Hobbs pointed to the reports filed by the Arizona Republic, which cast doubt on the unit’s work and found that most of its work was done outside the four major border counties, although it stated that the force made some “impressive” drug seizures. Jeffrey Glover, the new head of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, also recently said that he supports this move to redirect financing.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs addresses students as First Lady Jill Biden visits Mesa Community College in Mesa, Arizona, Monday, February 13, 2023, to highlight how affordable community college programs like Mesa College Promise provide students Job-related learning opportunities that lead to well-paying jobs. ((Rob Schumacher/Arizona Republic via AP, Paul))
The decision to abandon the force has the support of one of the most prominent Democrats in the state – US Senator Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, whose office has stressed the general need for resources at the border.
“What’s most important for Senator Kelly is that resources get where they’re needed most, which this move will still do, so law enforcement has the tools they need to help stop drug and human trafficking while keeping our communities safe,” organization spokeswoman Marisol Samaywa told Fox. News Digital.
but, Republicans in the House caucus in the move, saying it is part of a pattern from the Hobbes administration and will only serve to weaken the country’s border security just as it is still dealing with a historic immigrant crisis.
“In the same way that Joe Biden destroyed our country with his welcome support for lawlessness and a protracted drug crisis along our southern border, Katie Hobbs is destroying Arizona in the short three months since taking office with her reckless dismantling of the Border Strike Task Force,” said Rep. Paul Gosar. “Countless people will die because of Hobbes’ open borders policies.”
MP Andy Biggs called the move “disgraceful”.
“The brave members of the Arizona Border Strike Force office keep Arizonans safe every day. There is no logical reason to undermine border and national security efforts amid a historic border crisis,” he said.
Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., said Gov. Hobbs’ decision to repeal the border strike force was “unacceptable” and that it was “created to help combat the criminal gangs who are now smuggling immigrants freely and recording lethal amounts across our southern border.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Representative Debbie Lesko said the force was “created to help combat the criminal gangs that are now freely smuggling immigrants and logging record amounts of deadly drugs across our southern border.”
“It is unacceptable for Governor Hobbs to take this important resource aimed at restoring the security of Arizona’s borders and stopping criminal gangs,” she said.
Representative Ellie Crane, for her part, said the dismantling was “foolish and indicative of her party’s cowardly and destructive border policies.”
“The Border Strike Task Force was formed to protect Arizona communities from international criminal organizations – specifically the Mexican cartels that plague our southern border with illegal drug trafficking and human trafficking,” Crane said.
Crane Hobbes charged about “doing nothing to secure our borders or make Arizona families safer.”
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Instead of working tirelessly to protect Arizona families from the deadly effects of fentanyl and Mexican sex traffickers, they are too busy waging war on “hair highlighting” and vetoing commonsense budget proposals that would help every day in Arizona. Now, by announcing plans To abolish the Border Strike Task Force, you join the likes of Secretary Mayorcas and President Biden in actively exacerbating the crisis at our borders.”
The move comes amid an ongoing battle in Washington, D.C. as well as the border states over the ongoing crisis. Republicans blame the increase in immigrants on the Biden administration’s “open borders” policies, while Democrats and the administration have targeted Republicans for their downfall in approving the administration’s cross-border funding requests.