20-02-2025
Should Arizona put a 'bounty' on migrants heads? Hell no
Arizona is leading the pack in the hunt for migrants, now pushing to put a 'bounty' on their heads and making it legal to shoot them on private property.
Hunting for migrants has long been a favorite sport of Arizona's border vigilante groups and the elected leaders who passed restrictive anti-immigrant laws in the early and mid-2000s.
The difference now is that Donald Trump has declared a nationwide war on migrants, ordering to deport all those here illegally by any means necessary.
Arizona MAGA lawmakers are now eagerly working to tame Trump's fury over the slow pace of deportation, and what they're proposing is vigilantism on steroids.
Republican Sen. Jake Hoffman is proposing a 'bounty bill' to pay local law enforcement for each undocumented immigrant arrested and deported.
This is no joke. The chairman of the Arizona Freedom Caucus wants to put a $2,500 bounty on migrants' heads, just like in the olden days of the lawless frontier.
It's unclear how Hoffman came up with that amount, but his Senate Bill 1111 would impose a fee on migrants' international wire transfers. Taxpayers could, if they want, also claim the fees paid as tax credit.
That's how Hoffman is selling his head-hunting pitch to MAGA Arizonans, who are itching to use migrants as human targets.
And just in case there's any doubt of their barbarian tactics, Rep. Justin Heap is pushing a bill to legalize the shooting and killing of anyone illegally crossing private property.
The legislation doesn't mention undocumented immigrants, but it is meant to give property owners free rein to kill and shoot.
Case in point? Arizona rancher George Kelly was charged with second-degree murder in the 2023 death of an unarmed migrant. The likes of Kelly, who ultimately got a mistrial, would be legally justified under Heap's proposed law with no need to bother with the courts.
Another bill, SB 1164, that is now making its way through the MAGA-controlled Legislature would force local police officers to help with Trump's immigration crackdown.
This comes after some cities like Phoenix have said no city resources will go toward helping Trump's mass deportation.
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is the only one who could stop these vigilantism bills.
I'm heartened that a Hobbs spokesperson told The Arizona Republic that 'there's no way in Hell' she'll sign the bounty bill, in part because it puts a 'bounty on the heads of innocent people who have worked hard, paid taxes and lived in their communities for decades.'
But what about the other anti-immigrant bills? Hobbs has said she'd work with Trump on border security, but she hasn't clearly articulated what that means.
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Migrant bounty hunting is gaining steam everywhere from Mississippi to Missouri, exploiting Trump's immigration war to promote vigilante tactics.
Mobilizing hunters to go after migrants who are already terrified of being deported will only push them further underground.
Curtailing illegal immigration and enforcing border security is one thing, but encouraging vigilantes in a 'law and order' country spells trouble for everyone.
It's cruel to put a target on men, women and children whose only crime is a civil offense in their pursuit of safety.
It's up to the U.S. to take migrants or not, but it should be done strategically, orderly and humanely.
None of that orderly migration has happened under any federal administration because migrants are useful tools to stoke public fear for personal, political and financial gains.
Now, it's MAGA's turn. And they're blatantly turning America into a vigilante state. The 'bounty' is now on migrants, but it won't stop there if we let them.
Elvia Díaz is editorial page editor for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or Follow her on X, (formerly Twitter), @elviadiaz1.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona hunt for migrants is vigilantism on steroids | Opinion
