Arizona Democrats boycotted “border czar” Tom Homan’s speech to the Arizona state legislature.
Democratic lawmakers were seen walking out of the legislature ahead of the address, with some holding up the names of those who have been entangled in Trump’s immigration policy, like Mahmoud Khalil. Homan did not acknowledge the protest, according to ABC 15 Phoenix.
Homan gave a speech to a rare joint session of the Arizona Legislature to update them on the first few weeks of what he called the largest deportation operation in United States history. The speech served as a rallying cry for Republicans and emphasized the Trump administration’s goal of cracking down on illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Our mission is to secure the border, run a deportation operation, and locate missing children,” Homan told lawmakers.
“If you’re in this country illegally, you should be looking over your shoulder. It’s not OK to enter this country illegally — it’s a crime,” he said.
Entering the U.S. without authorization is not currently a crime but rather a civil violation of federal law. However, illegal entry, attempting to enter without proper inspection or at a designated port of entry, re-entry after deportation, and engaging in fraud, concealing information, or making false statements to evade immigration laws are all criminal offenses.
“We just want to let you know that Arizona will do everything we can to support you in your efforts,” Senate President Warren Petersen, a Republican, told Homan during his introduction.
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Democratic state Sen. Analise Ortiz led a protest outside the Arizona State Capitol during Homan’s speech and accused ICE of deporting longtime residents without due process.
“It is people that are law-abiding, tax-paying citizens of our community who have contributed to our economies, who have been deported. They are not just going after criminals,” Ortiz said.