Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is urging the Department of Homeland Security to release $69 million in border security funding that could remain in limbo for up to three more months.
The money, which is allocated through FEMA grants, is intended to support law enforcement agencies across Arizona, according to Hobbs. That includes overtime pay and critical gear for officers working near and along the southern border.
But right now, it's all tied up in what DHS is calling a “manual review.”
Hobbs says the process is expected to last 60 to 90 days, and she warns the delay could jeopardize both national and state security.
In a statement, she called the grants “not optional.”
“They are a lifeline for key programs at the Arizona Department of Homeland Security, the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, county sheriffs, municipal police, emergency managers, and firefighters. These delays will force local authorities to make impossible choices about what public safety measures they can and cannot afford to support,” Hobbs wrote.
According to court documents, officials under the Trump administration have argued that the manual review is meant to ensure federal funds are being used properly.
However, in an April 4 ruling, a federal judge determined that the review was effectively a backdoor effort to limit funding to so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions,” in violation of a prior court injunction.
A February Department of Justice memo defines a “sanctuary jurisdiction” as a state or locality that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Hobbs argues the two- to three-month review sends the wrong message, especially as President Trump has made border safety one of his top priorities.
Arizona isn’t alone in this fight. More than 20 other states are also suing the federal government to get similar FEMA grants released.
Meanwhile, there’s growing talk among Trump allies of dismantling FEMA altogether and shifting disaster response responsibilities to individual states.
