How Trump’s $2.6B border boost could affect Arizona
President Donald Trump’s budget proposal reflects his campaign promises to bolster border security by including more than $2 billion for his controversial border wall.
But experts in Arizona said they don’t yet know what impact the Department of Homeland Security’s budget will have in the state in the immediate future.
Erik Lee, director of the Scottsdale-based, nonpartisan think tank North American Research Partnership, said the long-promised border wall with Mexico won’t be built in fiscal year 2018 or with the $2.6 billion called for in Trump’s proposal.
“What you can get is a little bit better fencing around the major urban
areas,” he said of the proposed funding for a wall. “I think what you’ll see is a little bit better fencing in the urban areas around south Texas, because that’s where the action is right now.”
Lee said that $2.6 billion figure will likely be heavily debated by Congress. Despite that, he expected little impact to Arizona when it comes to the construction of the barrier or investing additional resources.
“The Arizona Border Patrol sectors are pretty quiet right now. If they’re going to be staffing anywhere, it’s going to be in south Texas,” he added. “On infrastructure, what we may get in a few areas is an additional layer of fencing. Previously, there’s only been a single layer.”
Arizona border sheriffs expressed concern about possible cuts to programs that aid local law enforcement.
Trump’s plan would scrap a Department of Justice program that reimburses jails and prisons for holding immigrants in the country illegally, a $210 million budget cut.
In fiscal year 2016, the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program funneled millions to Arizona, including $6.2 million to the state’s prisons and $737,000 to Maricopa County jails, according to materials from the Bureau of Justice Assistance website. Trump’s proposal calls the program “poorly targeted” and said it spends twothirds of its funding on four states.
“To take money away from state and locals, I don’t understand the answer to that or why they would do that,” said Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels.
USA TODAY reported that SCAAP is among the 62 agencies and programs that would get the ax under Trump’s proposed budget, though it’s not definitive. Dannels said he plans to reach out to the DHS to get further clarification.
“Those are very beneficial programs that, though SCAAP doesn’t pay like it should, it’s still a beneficial program,” he said. “I don’t want to see those get taken away.”