Arizona leaders react to President Donald Trump's immigration executive action
Trump signs executive orders on immigration
On the first day of his second term in office, President Donald Trump signed a number of orders related to immigration, including an order that seeks to end birthright citizenship. Some experts say the order could be targeted by legal challenges, since birthright citizenship is tied to the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution. FOX 10's Kenzie Beach has more.
PHOENIX - During his campaign, newly-inaugurated president Donald Trump ran hard on the issue of immigration, and on Jan. 20, he announced several executive actions that are focused on those campaign promises.
Trump orders targets cartels, border policies
Big picture view:
The new president’s wide-ranging executive orders directed at immigration include:
- Ending now-former President Joe Biden’s ‘catch and release’ policies
- Reinstating a policy known as ‘Remain in Mexico.’
- Sending troops to the border, and
- Ending asylum for those crossing the border illegally
It’s still unclear exactly how these executive actions will be implemented.
Why you should care:
Supporters say these steps will secure the southern border, rein in cartels, and crack down on drugs entering the country.
Opponents say it unfairly targets communities of color and parts of it could be unconstitutional.
Executive Action on birthright citizenship, undocumented immigrant removal also announced
President Trump has also signed an executive order that aims to end birthright citizenship.
Officials with the Trump administration say the order will clarify the language of the 14th Amendment, but many experts suspect it would face a mountain of legal opposition.
In addition, the newly-sworn in president has said he will crack down on immigrants on Day 1.
What He Said:
"All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places in which they came," Trump said.
Arizona leaders, activists react
Mark Dannels is the sheriff of Cochise County. The southeastern Arizona county borders Mexico, and he claims an uptick in border-related crimes has cost the county over $14 million.
"Over the last four years, we’ve seen an uptick that I’ve never seen in my four decades of law enforcement," said Dannels.
Dannels had a positive reaction to Trump's speech.
What Dannels Said:
"The speech from President Trump was refreshing, re-energizing, and it provided hope back to the people in this county."
Meanwhile, President Trump's stance on birthright citizenship sparked the ire of Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, who called it ‘anti-American.'
In a post he made to X (formerly Twitter), Sen. Gallego ending birthright citizenship is unconstitutional, and that such executive actions "run contrary to the ideals of what makes our country great," while vowing to "do all I can" to fight the order.
Governor Katie Hobbs also issued a similar statement on ending birthright citizenship.
Meanwhile, Katharine Pichardo-Erskine with the group Latino Victory believes the executives orders will be ineffective.
What Pichardo-Erskine Said:
"We don’t think that they are going to accomplish the goals he set out to do. Quite the contrary, they serve to create terror in our communities, impacting Latinos who are also citizens, so this is anti-American. It’s an attack on our democracy, and a terrible way for him to begin his term."
Protesters, meanwhile, gathered in Downtown Phoenix on Jan. 20 over the immigration policies.
What The Protesters Said:
"We’re not going to let him come into our neighborhoods and cities and separate families," said Michele Ramos with the Party of Socialism & Liberation.
Ramos is the daughter of immigrants. Her family is now documented, but the activist fears for her community.
"We're hard workers. My parents have been here for a long time working every da. We contribute to the to the economy, really, here in Arizona. You know, we built these streets," said Ramos.
By the numbers:
Polls by the Associated Press showed border security was among top issues during the 2024 presidential election, including in Arizona, but was eclipsed in importance by the economy.