Oppose SB 1156: Federal Immigration Enforcement Is Not Arizona's Financial Burden

I urge you to vote against SB 1156 in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. This bill would divert $20 million from Arizona's state general fund to reimburse cities, towns, and counties for short-term detention holds of undocumented immigrants. This represents a fundamental misallocation of state resources for what is clearly a federal responsibility. Arizona's general fund is already strained meeting the basic needs of our communities. Our schools, healthcare systems, and infrastructure require adequate funding. Taking $20 million from this fund to subsidize federal immigration enforcement operations undermines our ability to serve Arizona residents who depend on state services. Immigration enforcement falls under federal jurisdiction, and the federal government maintains its own agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with its own budget for these exact operations. If ICE wants local law enforcement to perform detention holds on their behalf, ICE should reimburse those costs from federal funds. Shifting this financial burden to Arizona taxpayers sets a dangerous precedent where the state becomes responsible for funding federal priorities while our own needs go unmet. The fiscal year 2026-2027 appropriation proposed in SB 1156 would establish an ongoing expectation that Arizona will continue subsidizing federal operations. This is not sustainable given our state's competing budget priorities. Local governments that choose to cooperate with ICE detention requests should look to the federal government for reimbursement, not Arizona taxpayers. I ask that you oppose SB 1156 in committee and prevent this $20 million diversion from our state general fund. Arizona must prioritize funding for services that directly benefit our residents and communities, not assume financial responsibility for federal immigration enforcement activities. The federal government has the resources and the obligation to fund its own operations.