Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs plans to expand border security operations along the state’s four border counties, placing added focus on disrupting transnational criminal organizations (TCOs).
Hobbs signed an executive order Tuesday to establish Operation Desert Guardian, a joint task force in which the state partners with local law enforcement, sheriffs and the federal government to disrupt TCO operations in the counties of Yuma, Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise.
“I’m proud to launch Operation Desert Guardian to combat the cartels, stop drug smuggling and human trafficking and secure Arizona’s border,” Hobbs said. “My administration has been in contact with the federal government and local sheriffs about the Operation, its critical objectives and our shared commitment to keeping criminals and drugs out of Arizona’s communities.”
Hobbs added that the operation’s objectives will include identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities along Arizona’s southern border, which stretches about 370 miles, while also combating border-related crimes committed by TCOs. To do so, Hobbs said, the joint task force plans to dismantle TCO supply chains and operating networks.
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Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed an executive order Tuesday establishing Operation Desert Guardian to take on Mexican cartels and help secure the border. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Operation Desert Guardian’s funding will come from a portion of the state’s Border Security Fund, which has a balance of $28 million.
The operation will also build on the efforts of Task Force SAFE (Stopping Arizona’s Fentanyl Epidemic), a joint operation between U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Arizona National Guard to stop drugs from entering Arizona at ports of entry.
Since its launch in July 2024, Task Force SAFE has intercepted 19 million fentanyl pills, 6,598 pounds of illicit drugs and 237 weapons at the border.
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Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers seized more than 26 pounds of fentanyl pills at a Border Patrol checkpoint near Gila Bend in 2022. (Arizona Department of Public Safety)
“I have worked productively with the federal government on Task Force SAFE and partnered with local law enforcement to deliver critical border security support, and I look forward to continued partnership on our shared border security priorities,” Hobbs said. “With Operation Desert Guardian, I’m confident we can take an important next step in our ongoing work to secure the border.”
After President Donald Trump was re-elected to a second term in November, Hobbs said Arizona would not be aiding the incoming administration with its “misguided” plan to launch a mass deportation operation.
She was asked by ABC News whether the Trump administration would bring a reset on the border, and she responded by focusing on current partnerships with the federal government to secure the border.
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Migrants at the southern border encountered in Arizona (U.S. Border Patrol)
“I am very hopeful that that partnership can continue, and that the incoming administration will listen to, not only my administration, but the experts here on the ground, the people that are doing the work, about what is most needed, and what we can continue to do that will be most helpful in securing our border,” she said.
“What I will unequivocally say is that, as governor, I will not tolerate efforts that are part of misguided policies that harm our communities, that threaten our communities, that terrorize our communities, and Arizona will not take part in those.”
State Republicans have a different plan, and, in January, state Senate President Warren Petersen, a Republican, introduced the “AZ ICE Act,” which would require sheriff’s departments and the Arizona Department of Corrections to enter into cooperative agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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Migrants line up at a remote U.S. Border Patrol processing center after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in Lukeville, Ariz., Dec. 7, 2023. (John Moore/Getty Images)
The agreements are based on 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers certain immigration functions, including identifying and detaining suspected illegal immigrants.
Petersen’s bill would also require law enforcement to comply with ICE detainers, which are requests that ICE be notified when an illegal immigrant is being released from state or local custody. “Sanctuary” jurisdictions do not comply with detainers.
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After Trump was sworn into office Jan. 20, he immediately signed a number of executive orders to tackle border security and illegal immigration.
Some local jurisdictions have pledged their support for the measures, but other officials have promised to either resist or not comply with any planned deportation operations.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
