The 16-14 vote against SB1279 came despite exhortations from Sen. Steve Smith, R-Maricopa, who said it only makes sense to ensure that people who already are breaking federal law don’t get a chance to continue to prey on Arizonans.

Immigration advocates are unsure what the merit-based immigration system President Donald Trump called for on Feb. 28 would do for the country because they don’t know exactly what the he meant.

HB2121 would make it illegal for any public official to refuse to comply with an “immigration detainer.” That is a formal request by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that a state or local agency keep for up to 48 hours someone not in this country legally, giving time for federal agents to pick them up.

Arizona’s challenges with illegal immigration have been well documented through the years. In Arizona, like many states, you cannot separate our economy from immigration, nor the politics that goes with it.

Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants puts the spotlight on border governors like Doug Ducey, who must decide whether to fully cooperate with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and allow their state’s law enforcers to act as immigration agents.

State senators refused Tuesday to restrict the ability of cities to issue their own identification cards to residents.

Trump’s Dept of Homeland Security yesterday issued two sweeping memos implementing his plan to identify and deport more undocumented immigrants.

Democratic Rep. César Chávez of Maryvale got on life’s political track one day when he was singing in a mariachi band.

Democratic leaders left a meeting with immigration officials Thursday convinced that recent apprehensions, detentions and deportations have greatly expanded under President Donald Trump.

Still reeling from the aftershocks of Arizona’s 2010 anti-immigration law, local and national Democratic politicians are struggling to figure out what Trump’s deportation policy will mean to local communities.