By Rafael Carranza | Arizona Republic
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is asking the federal government to rescind a 100-day moratorium on most deportations that was announced on President Joe Biden’s first day in office.
In a letter sent Tuesday to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Brnovich claimed the moratorium violated the Sanctuary for Americans First Enactment, or SAFE, Agreement that the department signed with Arizona and other states during the final weeks of former President Donald Trump’s administration.
The agreement, which went into effect Jan. 8, requires the Homeland Security Department to “provide 180 days’ written notice, consider (the Arizona Attorney General’s Office’s) input, and provide a detailed written explanation of the reasoning” behind any changes to immigration policy, according to the letter.
“The Biden moratorium on deportations is a just and reasonable remedy to the preceding 4 years of reckless, thoughtless, and aggressive enforcement by the previous administration. If AG Brnovich believes this measure is unconstitutional, he is more than welcome to file a lawsuit. And if his concern truly is overcrowding in facilities or the release of dangerous offenders, immigration advocates would welcome a conversation about reasonable immigration enforcement, prison reform, and alternatives to detention.”
Darius Amiri, Rose Law Group Immigration Dept. Chair
