As a new year and a new legislative session begin, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs must tow a careful line — she's a Democrat in a state that voted to re-elect former President Donald Trump in November, not to mention the incoming legislature will be even more conservative than it was during her first two years in office.
In a state with more than 370 miles of border with Mexico, Governor Hobbs says the border isn't just a Republican issue or a Democrat issue - it's an Arizona issue and she wants to be able to reach across the aisle to try and get things done.
"The people of Arizona and this nation want more than words, they want results."
That is what Governor Hobbs said in November during a visit to Nogales to highlight her administration's Task Force SAFE program, which her office says helped lead to the seizure of more than six million fentanyl pills and 1,400 pounds of fentanyl powder and other illicit drugs, with the help of the Arizona National Guard.
"We absolutely need federal partnership on border security. Arizona's spoke loudly and clearly about that," says Governor Hobbs when asked about which areas she'd be willing to work with President-elect Trump on.
But after that visit to the border, Governor Hobbs faced criticism from some, saying she hadn't clearly defined which proposed policies of Trump's she'd actually support, specifically about mass deportations.
"Trump's plans aren't clear," she explained. "And so I am hesitant to respond to speculation and hypotheticals. He has been continuously murky on the details about what he actually plans to do, and how he plans to carry this out. So, what I have been clear about, and what I will continue to be clear about, is that I will work with anyone to help secure the border. As a border state, it is critical for Arizonans to have that security."
When asked about whether convicted criminals who are also undocumented immigrants should be deported, Governor Hobbs told ABC15's Nick Ciletti that although she didn't want to respond to hypothetical scenarios, she said she believes most people could get behind that idea.
But it's not just mass deportations for the nation's estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants. The fate of Dreamers and DACA recipients also hangs in the balance. According to data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials, Arizona has nearly 21,000 DACA recipients.
Trump had tried to end DACA in his first term but said recently he'd be willing to work with Democrats to cut a deal.
"He talked about working with other elected officials to protect Dreamers. That’s a priority for me. I have had the chance to meet with some of them in the office after the election. There is a lot of fear and I am encouraged that he is willing to work to protect them."
In the past, Hobbs has even called out members of her own party, like President Joe Biden, telling ABC15's Nick Ciletti in January she would give him an "F" when it came to communicating about changes at the border.
"I will not hesitate to point fingers when I think that we are enacting something misguided and doesn’t help to secure the border. I am going to stand up for Arizonans. I am going to ensure that we are not doing things that are harming the economy that are killing jobs, that are hurting communities."
And with Arizona voters approving Prop 314 in November, Hobbs worries local police departments will be even more strapped if they have to devote more resources to immigration enforcement but said ultimately, it will be up to each department to decide what they can commit.
