Joe Biden’s proclamation limiting the number of asylum seekers each day at the southern border sparked a range of reactions from politicians and groups in Arizona.
Biden said the United States will not allow people to claim asylum if the average daily number of those seeking asylum passes 2,500 average in a week, according to the White House. According to the Department of Homeland Security, some exceptions include those with "exceptionally compelling circumstances" such as a "victim of a severe form of trafficking," those facing extreme medical or safety threats and "unaccompanied children." DHS also says that those who use the CBP One app will also be considered exempt from the limit.
Meanwhile, some Republicans in the state said that the action does not go far enough. U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake’s campaign used the opportunity to take a jab at her opponent, Congressman Ruben Gallego.
“This latest move is just another in a series of purely political moves made by radicals like Biden and Gallego in their attempt to salvage their chances this November,” her campaign stated. “But Arizonans won’t so easily forget the three years that Biden and Gallego spent refusing to secure our border as millions of illegal aliens came into our country unvetted, drugs poured into our communities, and crime skyrocketed.”
The move from the federal level comes as Arizona voters will now get to contemplate whether the state and local government could take action. Republicans in the Arizona House referred House Concurrent Resolution to the ballot on Tuesday, The Center Square reported.
HCR 2060, also known as the “Secure the Border Act,” would most notably make it a state crime to cross into Arizona illegally, along with other provisions related to fentanyl and e-verify.
