An inept federal government won't protect Arizona against cartels or fentanyl. I will
A core function of the federal government is ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens, including protecting the integrity of our borders.
Amid record numbers of migrants and deadly drugs flooding across our southern border, it’s baffling that the Biden administration has effectively given up on enforcing numerous immigration laws.
Border states like Arizona are disproportionately stuck dealing with the effects of this self-inflicted crisis.
Illegal immigration and border enforcement relies upon a cooperative federal government committed to enforcing the law. Unfortunately, D.C. officials continue to exploit the border as a political football.
While many continue to call for comprehensive reform, what good is passing new immigration laws when federal officials brazenly ignore existing laws?
We can't wait for the feds to fix a broken border
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures, the number of encounters at the Southwest border reached more than 2.3 million in fiscal 2022. That’s essentially the combined population of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa. This doesn’t include nearly 600,000 known “gotaways” who evaded capture.
U.S. Border Patrol encounters with non-U.S. citizens on the terror watch list at Southwest border ports of entry for fiscal years 2017-2021 was a combined total of 26. The number for fiscal 2022 skyrocketed to 98.
Arizona’s next attorney general must be willing to sue and hold the federal government accountable for their immigration enforcement dereliction. Earlier this year Republican attorneys general sued when the federal government attempted to rescind Title 42, a policy that has helped keep thousands of migrants with communicable diseases out of the country.
From his opponent: Saudis shouldn't use our water for free. I'll work to stop it
My opponent has stated that she doesn’t believe litigation against the federal government, including lawsuits over the unconstitutional attempts to end Title 42, is appropriate. She claims, “There are better ways to go about it,” including coming together to “try to tackle this problem.”
Waiting on the federal government to tackle our broken immigration system is no longer a viable option. If the federal government fails to fulfill its duty, border states like Arizona must lead in combating the humanitarian crisis along with the violence and tidal wave of deadly drugs devastating our communities.
I'll declare an 'invasion' on day one
As attorney general, I will not sit back and be a passive observer that gives the federal government a free pass on its lack of immigration enforcement.
On day one, I will renew efforts to use my legal authority as attorney general to declare the situation at the border an “invasion,” giving the governor and the state additional enforcement powers under the Constitution to protect our citizens.
Fighting the drug: Most fentanyl is smuggled by US citizens, not migrants
Arizona has become the gateway for fentanyl distribution in the United States and a microcosm of a larger national health crisis:
The DEA seized 12 million fentanyl pills in Arizona alone in 2021;
That’s up from 6 million seized pills the previous year;
94% of the 2,006 confirmed Arizona opioid fatalities in 2021 involved synthetics like fentanyl;
In late August, CBP agents seized 187 pounds of fentanyl pills in a Tucson traffic stop. Enough to kill nearly 43 million Americans.
Violent Mexican gangs like the Sinaloa Cartel are primarily responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl flooding our communities. That’s why I will call for designating cartels that produce and traffic fentanyl as “terrorist organizations” under Arizona law — just like what Texas did.
As attorney general, I'll get tough on cartels
The cartels have a financial stake in everything that moves through their territory. State prosecutors need greater authority under Arizona law to more readily freeze and seize their assets. State prosecutors must be enabled to more aggressively prosecute known members of designated terror organizations or individuals who provide material support to cartels.
Human trafficking, money laundering and drug smuggling are all integrally intertwined. Cartels and “coyotes” are reportedly earning around $13 billion a year by smuggling migrants across the United States/Mexico border.
As attorney general, I will work with law enforcement partners and aggressively use recently enacted anti-smuggling statutes to prosecute and financially cripple human smuggling networks.
Arizona voters will soon have the final say in who they want representing them as attorney general. I understand the issues and the priorities that matter most to Arizonans: protecting the vulnerable, combating lawlessness, holding criminals accountable, and holding both the federal government and state officials accountable when they disregard the law.
I have served my country overseas fighting for the freedoms of every American. Now, I am dedicated to serving the people of Arizona as your next attorney general.
Abe Hamadeh, an intelligence officer in the Army Reserve and a former Maricopa County prosecutor, is the Republican nominee for Arizona attorney general. Share your thoughts at info@abeforag.com; on Twitter: @AbrahamHamadeh.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Abe Hamadeh will act more decisively against cartels, fentanyl
