Voters in Tucson have overwhelmingly rejected an initiative that would have made Tucson the only sanctuary city in Arizona.
The measure drew fierce opposition from the mayor and city council, all of them Democrats, who said the initiative risked public safety and millions of dollars the city gets from the state and federal governments.
The measure was pushed by activists who wanted to give a voice to Tucson's Latino community. They said it would have sent the message that immigrants are safe and protected in Tucson at a time when many are fearful of President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
The initiative, known as Proposition 205, would have put new restrictions on when police can inquire about immigration status or cooperate with federal law enforcement. The Trump administration has fought sanctuary cities and tried to restrict their access to federal grants. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in June that the Trump administration could consider cities' willingness to cooperate in immigration enforcement when doling out law enforcement money.
Tucson voters have elected their first Latina mayor. Regina Romero (pronounced Ruh-Heena) is a three-term Tucson City Council member who will be sworn in next month.
She defeated an independent and a green party candidate by a wide margin in voting yesterday.
Romero says she wants to help small businesses with an incentive program after she takes office.
She replaces outgoing Tucson mayor Jonathan Rothschild.
