Senate approves bill requiring state agencies to share immigration-related data with federal authorities
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Summary
SB 15-20, which the Senate passed after sustained floor debate, requires state agencies to provide immigration-related data to federal authorities on request. Opponents said the bill lacks guardrails and risks privacy violations and dangerous outcomes for residents; supporters argued it facilitates enforcement of federal law.
The Arizona Senate passed SB 15-20 on Feb. 25, a measure that would require state agencies to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement by providing requested immigration-related data.
Opponents mounted sustained floor opposition, describing the bill as a dangerous expansion of federal enforcement powers into state-held records and warning it could expose citizens and noncitizens alike to privacy violations and enforcement actions. Senator Ortiz said the bill would "open up the potential for more violent, masked, armed, paramilitary members to be in our communities" and linked the bill to reported abuses by federal immigration agents. Senator Miranda and others warned the measure lacked guardrails and could be misused to target vulnerable populations.
Supporters argued the legislation is a straightforward tool for cooperating with federal authorities to enforce existing immigration laws and described the bill as necessary to help locate unauthorized individuals. Senator Kavanaugh characterized the measure as one more tool to enforce democratically enacted federal immigration statutes.
The Senate recorded the third-reading passage with the clerk announcing the tally in the transcript. The bill was transmitted to the House for further consideration.