Arizona Lawmakers Push Migrant Murder Bill

Growing up, I loved the James Bond films. Agent 007 was a cold, calculated spy that ventured around the globe, courting mysterious women and stopping evil at the last second.

The famed, gun-toting Aston Martin DB5, fancy suits, and classy cocktail parties may be reason enough to wish to swap bodies with the MI6 agent for a day, but the one Bond gadget I wanted to own more than anything else was his official License to Kill.

Arizona might give us the chance.

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The Bill

Arizona Republicans have been pushing a bill that would allow residents to legally commit murder. Now, there are some conditions of course. Residents can only take lethal action if their property is being trespassed, exclusively if they are illegal immigrants.

This comes as, for the first time since 2019, American citizens see illegal immigration to be the biggest problem to the nation. The federal government's nonchalant attitude about the U.S./Mexico border has only fanned the flames, and driven state lawmakers to extemes.

How Did We Get Here?

This all started after the murder of Gabriel Cuen Buitimea, a Mexican immigrant. Buitimea was spotted on a 170-acre ranch near the border, where rancher George Alan Kelly opened fire and killed him in cold blood.

The media coverage that followed drove Americans into a frenzy on whether or not Kelly was in the right. On one hand, it is his property and he has a right to defend it. On the other, any legislation passed to protect Kelly will likely cause property owners to begin shooting at anything that moves.

Arizona Republicans are hoping to enact the bill before Kelly's trial on March 21st, but it seems that Gov. Katie Hobbs will likely veto it before it's had he chance to do any damage.