Arizona Senate Bill 1070 (2010), partly upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Arizona v. United States (2012), prohibits Maricopa County and its cities from adopting sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
ARS Section 11-1051 prohibits any official or agency of a county, city, or town from limiting or restricting enforcement of federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal law. Officers conducting lawful stops who develop reasonable suspicion of unlawful presence must, when practicable, attempt to verify status with ICE. Maricopa County Sheriffs Office historically participated in ICE 287(g) jail enforcement until federal Department of Justice oversight (Melendres v. Arpaio, 2013) restricted profiling practices. Residents may sue any agency adopting sanctuary-style limits and recover civil penalties of $500 to $5,000 per day plus attorney fees under ARS 11-1051(H).
Citizens may file ARS 11-1051(H) suits against any Maricopa County or municipal agency adopting policies limiting immigration cooperation. Successful plaintiffs recover $500 to $5,000 per day in civil penalties plus court costs and attorney fees.
See how Mesa's sanctuary policy preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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