Committee backs HB 2099 to require state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement through 2029; debate and opposition highlighted

House Bill 2099, as amended, received a due-pass recommendation from the Senate Military Affairs and Border Security Committee on March 7. The bill requires the governor and attorney general and "each city, town, and county in Arizona to enforce, administer, and cooperate with federal actions, orders, and programs that relate to the enforcement of Federal immigration laws until 01/20/2029," as read into the record by the bill’s presenter.

Representative Theresa Martinez, the bill sponsor, framed HB 2099 as implementing promises she attributed to Governor Katie Hobbs’s 2025 State of the State address. Martinez said the bill was intended to ensure cooperation with the federal administration’s immigration enforcement, and stated directly on the record: "If you are in this country illegally, you should be deported." Martinez described the bill as clarifying state and local responsibilities and referenced news accounts and statements purportedly from the attorney general and others to underscore a need for clarity.

The ACLU of Arizona testified in opposition. Harrison Redmond, appearing on behalf of the ACLU of Arizona, told the committee HB 2099 “would force every level of state and local government into lockstep with federal immigration policy regardless of cost, prudence, or legality,” and said the bill’s unconditional language could require cities, school districts, emergency services and others to follow federal orders they consider unconstitutional or unaffordable. Redmond warned the bill could operate as “a blank check” for mass deportation if a federal administration pursued that path, and he urged the committee to vote no.

Committee debate ranged from questions about legal scope to policy concerns. Senator Miranda pressed the sponsor on whether local officials would be required to detain or deport individuals who are U.S. citizens or veterans; Martinez replied she did not believe U.S. citizens or veterans were being deported and reiterated support for deporting people who are in the country illegally. Senator Miranda also cited reporting that the White House press secretary had said the administration views undocumented immigrants broadly as subject to enforcement, and asked whether the sponsor was aware of that characterization.

Senator Gonzalez explained her no vote by putting the bill’s statistics in context: she noted the number of terrorism-related watch-list "hits" at the southern border represented a tiny fraction of total border encounters and cited Department of Homeland Security commentary that some watch-list hits are outdated, double-counted or not indications of active threats. Gonzalez said that while raw numbers may have risen, the proportion of terrorism-related encounters remains under 1% of total encounters in the years she cited.

The committee record shows a long amendment process: sponsor-noted technical amendment described as a 12-page amendment in the sponsor’s name dated March 7 that the sponsor characterized as making technical changes. The committee ultimately approved the bill as amended; the clerk announced "4 ayes, 2 nays, 1 not vote," and gave HB 2099 as amended a due-pass recommendation.

Exact recorded remarks included Representative Martinez saying, "If you are in this country illegally, you should be deported," and Harrison Redmond of the ACLU saying the bill "would force every level of state and local government into lockstep with federal immigration policy regardless of cost, prudence, or legality." The committee transcript does not include the final floor text in the excerpt provided, nor a complete roll call by name for every member. The amendment is recorded in the committee as dated March 7 and described in the hearing as a 12-page, technical amendment.

The bill as presented includes a self-repeal date of Jan. 20, 2029, which the sponsor said reflected hope the situation would be "fixed by then" and that the legislature could take the matter under further review at that time.

The committee’s due-pass recommendation moves the bill forward in the legislative process; further action and final text will be determined in subsequent committee and floor proceedings.

Votes at the committee announcement recorded several individual positions on the record: Senator Miranda voiced a firm no, Senator Rogers recorded a strong aye, and Senator John recorded an aye; the clerk announced the tally as 4 ayes, 2 nays, 1 not voting.