Democratic Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs announced shortly after entering office in January that she would eliminate the Border Strike Force (BSF) that former Governor Doug Ducey created in 2015, sparking outrage from Republican lawmakers concerned about rising crime and violence related to Arizona’s porous border with Mexico. Hobbs said as part of her budget, she would reroute the funding for the BSF elsewhere.
“In the same manner that Joe Biden has destroyed our country with his welcomed support for the prolonged lawlessness and drug crisis along our southern border, Katie Hobbs is destroying Arizona in three short months since taking office by her reckless dismantling of the Border Strike Task Force,” Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) told Fox News. “Countless more people will die from Hobbs’ open border policies.”
State Representative John Gilette (R-Kingman) tweeted, which was retweeted by Arizona House Republicans, “I think we understand! You de-funded the Border Strike Force, and rolled out the red carpet to cartels when you VETO the great Republican border Bills and remove the connex barriers.” Several sheriffs have spoken out against the defunding.
The BSF “provides a comprehensive collaborative approach to help secure Arizona’s border and thwart transnational criminal organizations” and also “targets border crimes” according to its webpage on the Arizona Department of Public Safety website. “The ultimate goal in the creation of the Border Strike Force is to deter, disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations that breach the border in their quest to set up business in our state.”
Read the rest of the article at The Arizona Sun Times