Arizona Can Begin Border Wall Construction Today

Tucson, Arizona – The Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) laments the entry into force of SB 1406 today, a measure that will allow Arizona to build its own border wall using inmate labor and private contractors. We believe that this project will be a waste of taxpayer dollars and do nothing to improve the border region’s quality of life or fix our nation’s immigration system.

“In these days of budget struggles and draconian cuts to our state’s health care and education programs, our legislators show more interest in sealing Arizona from the world instead of protecting our most vulnerable,” said Border Action Network Policy Director and SBCC Steering Committee member Jaime Farrant. “While the state claims to have no money for schools, our legislature and governor gave the approval to raise donations and potentially use state funding for what will only amount to a political stunt.”

The public hearings regarding SB 1406 lacked serious debate.  Various legislators voiced concerns about the potential risk of placing thousands of inmates at our international border to build this wall. In response, Rep. Terri Proud (R-26) said, “If a prisoner who is getting three meals a day, clothing, a shower and other accommodations […] wants to flee to Mexico, as I see it, we’ve been taking their crime. They can take ours.”

SBCC Co-Chair Christian Ramirez further added, “The Federal Government currently spends between up to $4 million per mile on its border fence, without taking into account maintenance costs. Arizona, meanwhile, claims that their fence will be built on the cheap, with inmate labor that pays 50 cents an hour. We doubt that this will be the case.”

Furthermore, SB 1406’s sponsor, Sen. Steve Smith (R-23), dismissed questions about how the wall will be designed, where it will be built and how it will be maintained by calling them “great what ifs.” 

The SBCC calls for political leaders to engage in serious analysis of important issues like our immigration system and national security and reject costly and ill-advised measures like this one.  Our border communities have already suffered greatly from non-border legislators such as Sen. Steve Smith, who slander the border in an effort to use it as a political launching pad and score cheap campaign points. We deserve much more than this.

[Editor’s Note: This is a press release from the Southern Border Communities Coalition, formed by over sixty (60) organizations along the United States-Mexico border, works to improve the quality of life of border communities, support rational and humane immigration reform policies and advocate for border enforcement policies and practices that are transparent, accountable and fair.]