Arizona Voters to Decide if Local Police Can Arrest Migrants, Though New Law's Future is Uncertain

Immigration is repeatedly cited as a major issue for voters ahead of next month's presidential election. But of the seven swing states expected to decide who gets the keys to the White House, only Arizona has a border with Mexico. (Credit: Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images)

Arizona voters are set to decide on Proposition 314, a measure that would allow local police to arrest migrants suspected of illegal entry from Mexico. If approved, Arizona would join states like Texas, Iowa, and Oklahoma in trying to pass state-level immigration laws—efforts that have been consistently blocked by federal courts.

GOP lawmakers who support the measure claim that it is necessary to secure the border, as they criticize Biden's administration's handling of immigration. This happens despite preliminary figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection signaling a continued decrease in unlawful border crossings over the past months, reaching the lowest monthly figure of President Joe Biden's administration in September.