PHOENIX, Ariz. (KGUN) — Arizona is one of a long list of states with Republican leadership, working to keep Donald Trump’s immigration policies in effect.
The change in Presidents led to major changes in immigration. We asked Arizona’s Attorney General why he’s gone to court to fight for the policies of a president who’s no longer in office.
When President Biden put a hundred-day hold on deportations several states sued to block that order. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich says he’s suing because he feels Biden is ignoring law that requires obeying deportation orders for more than a million people here illegally.
He says, “And I believe the law should be carried out. And, as I said, even at the time, if you don't carry that out, you're going to have an overwhelming impact on our immigration system. And so we're starting to see the effects of that with, with this huge crisis at the border.”
Brnovich is also suing over the Biden administration's decision to stop enforcing public charge rules the Trump Administration imposed in 2019. Those restrict immigration of anyone who might collect public assistance like food stamps.
“They've essentially allowed anyone now in the country whether they have legal status or not to have those benefits. I just don't think that's fair to taxpayers, and not only that, I think it incentivizes people to come here, you know, breaking the law and I think that's what we're seeing. That's why we've seen this record surge at the southern border, and, and you, there's a lot of NGOs, non-government organizations that are being overwhelmed by it.”
In the last few weeks of the Trump Administration, Attorney General Brnovich signed an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security saving the Biden Administration needed to inform and consult with Arizona before changing immigration policy.
MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund has fought back in court saying that the agreement is illegal because it was signed by someone who had no Federal authority to sign it, a man who MALDEF says was holding a post in violation of Federal law.
MALDEF’S President Thomas A. Saenz says, “This unlawful agreement is an attempt by Arizona and the Trump administration to embed policies rejected by voters when they rejected Trump’s reelection.”
Brnovich says he wants to see immigration reform but says border security must come first.