Sara Ritchie
In a letter to the US Department of Homeland Security this week, Governor Doug Ducey raises questions about how President Joe Biden’s new asylum processing protocols will impact Arizona.
On Friday, DHS began processing asylum seekers in San Diego who were part of the Migrant Protection Protocols, a controversial Trump administration policy that forced thousands of asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for immigration court dates in the US.
In his letter to DHS, Governor Ducey said Arizona border sheriffs and community leaders were concerned about how a possible influx of people would affect aid groups and resources especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Industries hardest hit by the pandemic include air travel and Arizona’s two largest airports saw passenger numbers plunge in 2020. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport reported a 50% drop in passengers compared to 2019. The rate increased to 60% for Tucson International Airport. Despite the setback, Tony Paniagua reports that Tucson’s airport leaders are hopeful that the situation will improve this year, especially as more people are vaccinated. The airport has added new flights this year and are moving forward on a $300 million plan to improve its runways.
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The Arizona Supreme Court’s presiding disciplinary judge has announced plans to retire this year. Judge William J. O’Neil informed Chief Justice Robert Brutinel that he’ll retire mid-year after a successor has been chosen.
O’Neil was appointed in 2010 by the state Supreme Court as Arizona’s first presiding disciplinary judge who presides over attorney discipline, reinstatement and disability cases.
Brutinel said in a statement that O’Neil “set a standard for efficiency and fairness that creates a benchmark for the presiding disciplinary judges to come.”
O’Neil previously served Arizona’s courts for 20 years including time as presiding judge of the Pinal County Superior Court.