Arizona AG Kris Mayes Says No to Trump’s DACA Deportation Plans, Calls for Border Resource Focus
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has made her opposition clear regarding any proposed plans by President-elect Donald Trump to deport individuals under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, commonly known as Dreamers.
In her new interview with The Guardian, Mayes stressed the importance of due process and individual rights within the immigration process. She stated her office will actively oppose the mass deportations suggested by Trump and his appointed “border czar,” Tom Homan, and drew a “bright red line” in opposition to Trump’s border policies.
“I definitely will be fighting on behalf of dreamers,” Mayes said in the interview. “These folks are firefighters, police officers, teachers – they are part of the very fabric of our state and we will protect them.”
Mayes went on to characterize the idea of establishing deportation centers in Arizona as akin to “concentration camps.”
“If Trump tries to engage in family separation, or build mass deportation camps, I will do everything I can legally to fight that,” Mayes said. “That is not happening in Arizona, not on our soil.”
The term “Dreamers” originates from the DREAM Act, legislation first proposed in Congress in 2001, which aimed to provide a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Despite numerous attempts to dismantle DACA, Trump has faced legal hurdles that have prevented significant changes to the program, Fox News reported.
The Supreme Court has upheld DACA, allowing its continued existence amid political controversy.
“I think the supreme court will ultimately see the merits of protecting them. We want to give the courts the opportunity to make the right decision here, and we’ll be making very strong arguments on that proposition,” she said.
Her comments reflect a broader coalition among Attorneys General from states like New Mexico and California, who stand united on immigration policy issues, contrasting with the position taken by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“Three of the four border states have attorneys general in Democratic hands and we are going to fight for due process and for individual rights,” Mayes told the outlet.
In her statements, Mayes also acknowledged the severe fentanyl crisis impacting her state and advocated for increased federal resources focused on border enforcement instead of using the National Guard for deportation efforts.
“We are facing a serious fentanyl crisis in our state, and there’s no doubt that Arizonans want our border addressed,” she said. “But when Arizonans voted for Donald Trump they did not vote to shred the Arizona and US constitution – I strongly believe that.”
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