By Gloria Rebecca Gomez | AZ Mirror
Republican legislative leaders are asking the Trump administration to reimburse Arizona for spending $744 million on border security over the past four years — a month after Gov. Katie Hobbs sent her own request, which remains unanswered.
The federal government’s recently passed budget set aside roughly $13 billion to pay states for border-related costs incurred since 2021, the beginning of former President Joe Biden’s term. The fund was created at the urging of Texas’ congressional delegation, and the lion’s share of the money is expected to go to the Lone Star State, which racked up more than $11 billion in expenses pursuing aggressive immigration enforcement policies.
On Sept. 10, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Steve Montenegro sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying that some of that money should be given to the Grand Canyon State. In a joint written statement, the pair sharply criticized Biden and called on the Trump administration to help the state recoup millions spent on border security.
