Senate committee advances $50 million bill to expand state-funded border enforcement

The Arizona Senate Appropriations Committee on March 21 voted to give House Bill 2606 a due-pass recommendation, advancing a proposal to appropriate $50 million from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026 to the Arizona Department of Public Safety for officer positions, capital equipment and grants to cities, towns and counties for costs associated with prosecuting and detaining people charged with border-related crimes.

The bill would allow the Department of Public Safety to use the funds for personnel and capital equipment and would allow DPS to issue grants to local jurisdictions to offset prosecution and detention costs tied to specified ‘‘border-related’’ offenses. Sponsor testimony said the appropriation is larger than recent allocations and is supported by the governor; opponents said it would funnel taxpayer dollars into harmful immigration enforcement activities.

Supporters and opponents spoke at the hearing. Jen Morrison, representing the Arizona Sheriffs’ Association, told the committee the funding builds on longstanding programs such as the border strike force created in 2015 and that similar language has been repeatedly funded by past governors. ‘‘This funding has been in place since then. It’s not brand new,’’ Morrison said.

Opponents including Jody Leggett of Living United for Change in Arizona and Pablo Correa (executive director, name given in testimony as Arizona Action) urged senators to oppose the bill on human-rights and civil-rights grounds. Leggett told the committee that state dollars would ‘‘perpetuate a deeply flawed immigration enforcement system’’ and cited historical examples and recent federal actions in testimony.

Committee discussion ranged from whether the funds would be used statewide to the relation between state and federal authority. Senators on both sides of the aisle disputed whether the money is aimed at ‘‘harassing residents’’ or at interdicting people trafficking drugs and people; supporters argued the funds are needed to interdict serious criminal activity and to assist overwhelmed local law enforcement, while opponents said the appropriation diverts resources from other priorities such as housing and human services.

The committee recorded 5 ayes, 2 nays and 3 not voting and the chair announced that House Bill 2606 passed the committee by that margin.

Votes and next steps: the committee’s due-pass recommendation advances the bill to the full Senate for further consideration. If enacted as written, the appropriation would be available in FY2026 for DPS and related grants.

Ending: Public testimony and floor explanations emphasized both the bill’s continuity with prior border-enforcement appropriations and the larger requested amount this year. Several public witnesses urged redirecting funds to housing and social services, while law enforcement advocates urged the committee to support expanded enforcement resources.