PHOENIX, AZ - Today, Governor Hobbs vetoed SB 1231, a bill that aimed to unlawfully surpass and enforce federal immigration law and give unprecedented authority to local law enforcement to deport undocumented people. The ACLU of Arizona stood with several other advocacy groups in opposition to SB1231 and testified against it. Noah Schramm, border policy strategist for the ACLU of Arizona, had the following reaction to the Governor’s veto:
“SB 1231 was a blatantly unconstitutional and extreme anti-immigrant measure that would have sent Arizona back to a time when racial profiling ran rampant, and the state’s reputation and economy took a brutal blow. Just like its predecessor, SB 1070, this bill would have illegally side-stepped protections guaranteed under federal law, led to even greater harassment of communities of color, and advanced a dishonest and dangerous narrative about immigrants in our state. Legislation like SB 1231 has no place in Arizona where immigrants are our friends, family, and neighbors; but rather than protecting Arizona communities, extremist lawmakers are only concerned with inciting hateful divisions. We thank Governor Hobbs for vetoing this anti-immigrant bill.”
