Republican lawmakers in Arizona voted on Tuesday to put a ballot measure before voters in November that would make unlawfully crossing the border from Mexico a state crime. The proposal would give local police officers the power to arrest and jail unauthorized migrants, and would allow state judges to order deportations.
While immigration is the focus of campaigns across the country, the measure in Arizona is significant because it places the border crisis directly onto the ballot in a swing state that is seen as crucial in the presidential race.
Republicans are betting it will fire up anti-immigration conservatives and draw in otherwise unenthusiastic independents. And it could sit on a potentially crowded ballot, along with another measure protecting abortion rights, which Democrats hope will draw out more voters on their side.
The measure passed 31-29 along party lines. In floor speeches, Democrats called it an ineffective and racially biased measure that would break up immigrant families and hurt the state’s economy and reputation. Republicans focused on overdose deaths and migrants accused of murders, and called the ballot measure a necessary response to an unchecked “invasion.”
“The federal government has lost control,” said Representative John Gillette, a Republican. “We must act.”
Outside the Capitol, immigrant-rights supporters waved signs saying “No hate” and shouted their opposition in a last-ditch effort to pressure lawmakers to kill the measure, saying it would break up families and spread fear through immigrant communities.