Quang Nguyen, House Judiciary Chairman and Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives, said March 31 that “Cities cannot adopt policies that limit or restrict immigration enforcement.” The statement was released through the Arizona House GOP Conference website in connection with Nguyen’s formal request to Attorney General Kris Mayes for a review of Phoenix Administrative Regulation 5.32, according to the Arizona House GOP Conference.
The issue centers on whether a regulation adopted by the City of Phoenix conflicts with Arizona statutes requiring full cooperation with federal immigration enforcement operations by political subdivisions. The regulation, part of the city’s Community Transparency Initiative, requires City Manager approval before federal officers can use city-owned or controlled property for civil law enforcement activities, including immigration operations. This action follows the regulation’s requirement for City Manager approval prior to any use of city-owned or city-controlled property in such enforcement contexts, according to the Arizona House GOP Conference.
Nguyen said, “Phoenix has no authority to put the enforcement of federal immigration law behind a political gatekeeper. Arizona law is clear. Cities cannot adopt policies that limit or restrict immigration enforcement. This regulation does exactly that by putting the City Manager in control of whether federal officers can use public property for staging, coordination, or other operational needs. Phoenix crossed the line. This policy does not simply decline to help. It puts city government in the position of controlling whether federal immigration enforcement can use public property to carry out operations. That is a restriction on enforcement, and Arizona law forbids it. No city gets to override state law, obstruct federal officers, or turn immigration enforcement into a permission slip signed by the City Manager,” according to Nguyen via the Arizona House GOP Conference.
Data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement show custodial arrests in Arizona more than tripled in fiscal year 2025 compared with the prior period, rising from at least 1,249 to 3,821. Monthly arrest figures climbed sharply after the start of the current administration as local jail transfers and neighborhood operations increased as part of expanded interior enforcement efforts; these figures reflect heightened activity in a border state where federal operations rely on access to public facilities for staging and coordination, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, as of early 2023 illegal immigration imposed a net fiscal burden on U.S. taxpayers reaching at least $150.7 billion at all levels of government nationwide; total expenditures exceeded $182 billion while tax contributions from this population totaled roughly $31 billion annually before adjustments.
Nguyen represents Legislative District 1 in Yavapai County and was first elected in 2021; he currently chairs the House Judiciary Committee and serves on Appropriations and Public Safety panels with legislative work focused on judiciary matters including state and federal statute enforcement.
