Oppose SB 1474: Forced ICE Cooperation and Mandatory Immigration Training

I am writing to urge you to oppose Senate Bill 1474, sponsored by Senator Wendy Rogers, which is scheduled for consideration by the Senate Military Affairs and Border Security Committee on Monday. This legislation would fundamentally undermine local control and force Arizona cities, counties, and public schools to serve as extensions of federal immigration enforcement, regardless of community priorities or resource constraints. SB 1474 prohibits any state or local government entity from establishing policies that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities. This mandate strips communities of their ability to determine how their own law enforcement resources are deployed and forces them to participate in federal immigration enforcement whether or not it serves their public safety priorities. Local police departments should focus on building trust with all community members, not acting as immigration agents, which research shows makes immigrant communities less likely to report crimes or cooperate with investigations. The bill grants the Attorney General sweeping investigative powers. Upon written request from any single state legislator, the Attorney General must investigate whether a city, county, or school is failing to cooperate with immigration enforcement. This creates a system where any lawmaker can trigger costly investigations and enforcement actions against local governments, wasting taxpayer resources on political witch hunts rather than genuine public safety concerns. Section G mandates that every law enforcement agency and all officials of state and local government provide immigration enforcement training to their employees. This unfunded mandate forces Arizona communities to divert limited resources toward federal immigration priorities rather than addressing local needs like property crime, drug trafficking, or violent offenses that directly impact constituent safety. This legislation represents a massive expansion of state control over local decision-making and transforms local officials into enforcers of federal immigration policy. I urge you to vote no on SB 1474 and protect the ability of Arizona communities to set their own public safety priorities.