YUMA, Ariz.-
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey recently signed a bill saying any undocumented immigrant who is arrested complete 85% of their sentence before being turned over to federal immigration.
House bill 2451 was signed April 1st by Governor Ducey . In a statement the governor said the bill was signed for fairness and to keep those accountable for their crimes and most Arizonans agree. “They came here and committed a crime so whether they are here legally or illegally they committed a crime on United States soil so pay the penalty,” said Buck from Phoenix. A Yuma resident said they agree with the governor and say those who do the crime should pay the time, but not everyone agrees with the new bill. “I think they should be deported right away why should we as taxpayers pay for someone,” said another Yuma Resident. “It’s imposing on our tax dollars.”
The bill could affect 1,000 inmates a year and cost the state $16 million a year to keep the inmates at prisons. Sebastian Sanchez a local attorney says there could be some dispute about the bill in the future.
House bill 2451 is set to go into effect in July.