Arizona Secretary of State and Democratic gubernatorial Candidate Katie Hobbs might have an opinion about whether Title 42 would cause havoc at Arizona’s southern border.
Hobbs claimed that “Title 42” isn’t working on Arizona Family’s “Politics Unplugged” but then she was quoted by CNN calling the Biden administration’s reversal “rash.” Arizona Mirror’s Dillon Rosenblatt tweeted Monday.
Katie Hobbs is already walking back her stance on Title 42 being lifted next month.
-On April 3 she went on Politics Unplugged to say “Title 42 isn’t working” when asked if Biden made the right decision to end it May 23.
-On April 23, she told CNN, Biden made a “rash decision.”— Dillon Rosenblatt (@DillonReedRose) April 25, 2022
Eric Bradner, CNN’s political reporter, shared a screenshot from the article he wrote. He said he “used only the direct portion” of her response.
Hobbs’s campaign didn’t appreciate the quote. An outright condemnation by the Biden White House wouldn’t be popular with some Democratic primary voters.
Rosenblatt shared the complete quote Hobbs used in an interview with CNN.
“Title 42 doesn’t work, as shown by the fact that border crossings have increased in Arizona since the policy was implemented. But, lifting Title 42 without a plan to secure our borders would be a disaster. I call on the Biden administration to reverse this decision and to finally dedicate the resources necessary to end the chaos at our borders.
Update: Hobbs campaign tells me CNN didn’t use her full quote which was intended to provide clarity to her April 3 response. “Title 42 isn’t working, as evidenced by the fact that border crossings in Arizona have continued to increase since this policy was put in place (cont) https://t.co/BBZKxhUFIF
— Dillon Rosenblatt (@DillonReedRose) April 25, 2022
You should take this new, fuller, and more nuanced statement with a grain. Even if it’s the complete quote, Hobbs still has no excuse for not criticizing the Biden administration’s decision on April 3. The Trump-era coronavirus-related security order will be eliminated, one of few border security measures that are still in place. This will only make the flood of migrants who are arriving at the border worse.
Hobbs is doing herself a disservice because it’s not clear what a “clear strategy” is to secure the border without establishing something very similar to or even stricter than Title 42. Senators are fellow Arizona Democrats. Krysten Sinema, Mark Kelly and Sens.
Hobbs, the Gubernatorial Candidate, should be able to speak out on this controversial topic due to its widespread use in border communities. It should not be difficult to determine a candidate’s position regarding the border in this ongoing humanitarian crisis and national security emergency.
Hobbs’s criticism of the Biden administration was too little too late. The Washington Free Beacon pointed out that Arizonans deserve a more comprehensive statement on the subject weeks ago and not when it becomes politically safe.
