IN FOCUS - Aug. 1, 2025

This week, Governor Katie Hobbs fulfilled a sort of Arizona political tradition by forwarding the federal government a bill for the State’s estimated costs associated with securing the border. Arizona governors have sought federal reimbursement due to illegal immigration for two decades, beginning with then-Governor Janet Napolitano not long after she took office in 2003.

Governor Hobbs’ letter to HHS Secretary Kristi Noem includes an itemized invoice seeking reimbursement for nearly $760 million worth of State expenses, dating back to January 2021 and spanning the Ducey and Hobbs administrations. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed by President Donald Trump last month includes a multi billion-dollar provision to reimburse states for border security-related expenses incurred from the beginning of the Biden administration to today.

Past Arizona governors have generally been rebuffed by the feds when seeking reimbursement. While it remains to be seen whether Governor Hobbs will have better luck, her initial response from the Trump administration was not promising: “DHS responds to official requests through official channels.”