YUMA, AZ (AZ Family) — Law enforcement agencies in Arizona’s border towns prepare to enforce statewide immigration after Proposition 314, also known as Secure The Border Actapproved, with nearly 63% of voters in favor of Thursday’s results.

Although a majority of Arizona voters approved the ballot measure, funding remains a crucial question for local police and county sheriffs, who will be tasked with a duty that until recently was reserved for the feds.

Illegal border crossing between ports of entry was a federal crime. Now, Prop 314 makes it a state crime, giving police the ability to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering Arizona through Mexico anywhere but a port of entry.

Under state law, trespassing will become a Class I felony for a first offense and a felony for subsequent offenses; it also gives state judges the power to order deportations.

“We’re not looking to specifically send units there to specifically target or search for illegals,” said Emmanuel Botello, a San Luis police lieutenant.

While supporters of the bill say it will help secure Arizona’s border, Botello sees it as federal work that requires federal dollars.

“We’re going to continue to prioritize, protect the life, protect the property of our residents, it’s going to continue to be at the top of our priorities,” Botello said.

Yuma Police Chief Thomas Garrity says that while he agrees that immigration should remain at the federal level, they are prepared for the burdens that Proposition 314 entails.

“We don’t have additional resources as a result of this, if we have any additional work and additional duties,” he said. “For me, that’s where the big problem is going to be: prisons.”

“We as a police department have to make sure that the policies that we have and the training that we have are going to be fair, constitutional and respectful to everybody,” Garrity said.

Advocates against the bill warn it could lead to racial profiling, but Garrity assures the community that won’t happen in Yuma.

“We will not ask people who are victims or witnesses for their immigration status. We’re just going to focus on crimes,” Garrity said.

Prop 314 is modeled after Texas SB 4which the US Supreme Court is currently reviewing; portions of the bill won’t go into effect unless the court rules the Texas law is constitutional.

According to the Associated Press, a violator cannot be prosecuted until a similar law has been in effect for 60 consecutive days.

See a spelling or grammar mistake in our story? Please click here to report it.

Have a breaking news photo or video? Send with us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.