Phoenix, AZ -- On June 12, 2014, we learned Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne sent a cease and desist letter to the federal government demanding they stop transporting Central American migrants to the Nogales Detention Center. Immigration is under the jurisdiction of the federal government and instead of wasting time and resources challenging the federal government placement of the children because of the overcrowding situation in Texas, Horne should focus his time and energy to ensure the safety of children, and and find out whether any of the sexual or physical abuse reports took place inside of Arizona. One of Horne's duties in Arizona as Attorney General is to ensure the safety of all persons in the State of Arizona within the jurisdiction of Arizona to include immigrant children. Instead, it appears Horne wants to deflect from his responsibility to ensure the safety of infants, children and mothers.  There are teenage mothers in Nogales who have reported rape.  Women voters of Arizona want these sexual/physical crimes to be investigated forthwith during this humanitarian effort.

 

The Supreme Court has made it clear time and time again that immigration is within the preview of the federal government under the Supremacy Clause of our United States Constitution. Therefore, when Texas runs out of detention center space, the federal government can decide where more space can be made.

 

The Texas Rio Grande Valley Detention Center could not house the influx of minor children and mothers properly which is why they called the Nogales Detention Center Chief to see if they could help. The Nogales Detention Chief admitted to the 120,000 sq ft. space available here and offered to lend help to the State of Texas. Currently the State of Arizona is home to the largest detention center in our Nation even though Arizona-Mexico border is approximately 378 long – only a fraction of the Texas-Mexico border of 1954 miles long. Horne does not appear to be compassionate nor is he an American team player to his own fellow Repubilican Attorney General Greg Abbott colleague in Texas' time of need even though immigrant children are reporting they are losing their childhoods in Texas Detention Centers. 

Horne's cease and desist letter demonstrates to Arizona women and Independent voters his unwillingness to foster team work in light of this humanitarian crisis.

 

In addition, we condemn Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer for exploiting minor immigrant infants, children and mothers when she uses the Nogales Detention Center crisis to fatten her federal political action committee via Jan PAC. 

 

Both Governor Jan Brewer's and Tom Horne's inhumane approach to infants, women and children will be noted come election time. We would like to remind these hypocritical "pro family" Republicans that  independent registered voters in Arizona are the largest voting bloc in our State, and we will ensure voters remember their inhumane approach to women, infants and children held in Nogales, AZ, during Texas' time of need.