SB1708 property use; immigration enforcement; prohibition

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is not provided in the source material; therefore, the timeline for compliance (30 days) cannot be calculated.

SB1708: Limits on Using Public Property for Immigration Enforcement

This law stops cities, counties, and the state from using their property for civil immigration enforcement unless a judge issues a specific warrant naming that location.

What This Bill Does

Requires a valid judicial warrant specifying the particular property before any city, county, or state-owned property can be used for civil immigration activities.
Bans the use of parking lots, parking garages, and vacant lots owned by cities, counties, or the state as staging areas, processing locations, or operations bases for civil immigration enforcement.
Mandates that local governments post signs at entrances to publicly accessible properties stating they cannot be used without a valid judicial warrant within 30 days of the effective date.
Prohibits officers from questioning, detaining, or arresting people on city, county, or state property unless the officer presents a valid judicial warrant applicable to that person.

Who It Names or Affects

Cities and towns in Arizona
Counties in Arizona
State government agencies managing public property
Immigration enforcement officers operating within the state

Terms To Know

Civil immigration enforcement activity or operation: Actions taken by officials to enforce laws regarding a person's status in the country, as distinguished from criminal arrests.
Valid judicial warrant: A legal document issued by a judge that gives permission for an action and must specify the particular property or be applicable to the specific person involved.
Staging area: An area used to assemble, mobilize, and deploy vehicles, equipment, materials, and personnel for civil immigration enforcement operations.

Limits and Unknowns

The official text does not list a specific effective date.
The law defines rules specifically for 'civil' immigration activities but does not explicitly detail how criminal arrests are handled differently on public property, though it requires warrants for questioning or detention.

Official Summary Text

SB1708 - property use; immigration enforcement; prohibition

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB1708 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
property use; immigration enforcement; prohibition

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1708

Introduced by

Senators
Miranda: Alston, Bravo, Diaz, Fernandez, Gonzales, Hatathlie, Kuby, Ortiz,
Sears, Sundareshan

AN
ACT

Amending Title 9, chapter 4, article 8,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 9-500.54; Amending Title 11,
chapter 2, article 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 11-269.31;
Amending Title 41, chapter 4, article 7, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding
section 41-807; relating to immigration enforcement.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 9, chapter 4, article 8,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 9-500.54, to read:

START_STATUTE
9-500.54.

Cities and towns; property; immigration enforcement; prohibition;
definition

A. notwithstanding any other law, property that is owned by
a city or town in this state may not be used, occupied, leased, loaned or
otherwise made available, temporarily or permanently, for any civil immigration
enforcement activity or operation unless the civil immigration enforcement
activity or operation is conducted pursuant to a valid judicial warrant
SPECIFYING that the activity or operation may be conducted at a particular
property.

B.
A parking
lot, parking garage or vacant lot that is
OWNED BY A CITY OR TOWN IN THIS
STATE MAY NOT BE USED as a staging area, processing location or operations base
for civil immigration enforcement.

C. Within thirty days after the
effective date of this section, the city or town shall provide designated
signage at each entrance of property that is owned by the city or town in this
state and that is accessible to the public stating that the property is
publicly owned and may not be used for civil immigration enforcement activities
or operations by immigration enforcement officers without a valid judicial
warrant.

D. A person who is on any property
that is owned by a city or town in this state may not be questioned, detained
or arrested by an immigration enforcement officer unless the immigration
enforcement officer presents a valid judicial warrant that is applicable to the
person.

E. For the
purposes of this section, "staging area" means an area that is used
to ASSEMBLE, mobilize and deploy vehicles, equipment or materials and any
related personnel for the purposes of carrying out civil immigration
enforcement OPERATIONS.

END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
Title 11,
chapter 2, article 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section
11-269.31
, to read:

START_STATUTE
11-269.31.

Counties; property; immigration enforcement; prohibition;
definition

A. notwithstanding any other law,
property that is owned by a county in this state may not be used, occupied,
leased, loaned or otherwise made available, temporarily or permanently, for any
civil immigration enforcement activity or operation unless the civil
immigration enforcement activity or operation is conducted pursuant to a valid
judicial warrant SPECIFYING that the activity or operation may be conducted at
a particular property.

B. A pARKING LOT, PARKING GARAGE OR
VACANT LOT that is OWNED BY A county IN THIS STATE MAY NOT BE USED as a staging
area, processing location or operations base for civil immigration enforcement.

C. Within thirty days after the
effective date of this section, the county shall provide designated signage at
each entrance of property that is owned by the county in this state and that is
accessible to the public stating that the property is publicly owned and may
not be used for civil immigration enforcement activities or operations by
immigration enforcement officers without a valid judicial warrant.

D. A person who is on any property
that is owned by a county may not be questioned, detained or arrested by an
immigration enforcement officer unless the immigration enforcement officer
presents a valid judicial warrant that is applicable to the person.

E. For the purposes of this section,
"staging area" means an area that is used to ASSEMBLE, mobilize and
deploy vehicles, equipment or materials and any related personnel for the
purposes of carrying out civil immigration enforcement OPERATIONS.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 3. Title 41, chapter 4, article 7, Arizona
Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-807, to read:

START_STATUTE
41-807.

State owned property; immigration enforcement; prohibition;
definition

A. notwithstanding
any other law, property that is owned by this state may not be used, occupied,
leased, loaned or otherwise made available, temporarily or permanently, for any
civil immigration enforcement activity or operation unless the civil
immigration enforcement activity or operation is conducted pursuant to a valid
judicial warrant SPECIFYING that the activity or operation may be conducted at
a particular property.

B. A pARKING LOT, PARKING GARAGE OR
VACANT LOT that is OWNED BY THIS STATE MAY NOT BE USED as a staging area,
processing location or operations base for civil immigration enforcement.

C. Within thirty days after the
effective date of this section, the department shall provide designated signage
at each entrance of property that is owned by this state and that is accessible
to the public stating that the property is publicly owned and may not be used
for civil immigration enforcement activities or operations by immigration
enforcement officers without a valid judicial warrant.

D. A person who is on any property
that is owned by this state may not be questioned, detained or arrested by an
immigration enforcement officer unless the immigration enforcement officer
presents a valid judicial warrant that is applicable to the person.

E. For the purposes of this section,
"staging area" means an area that is used to ASSEMBLE, mobilize and
deploy vehicles, equipment or materials and any related personnel for the
purposes of carrying out civil immigration enforcement OPERATIONS.
END_STATUTE