Arizona to charter planes to take migrants out of state

Arizona will begin using airplanes to move migrants from border communities to other cities around the country. According to a report in USA Today, the state signed a contract Jan. 14, and will use both buses and aircraft.

The practice of transporting migrants to other states began with former Gov. Doug Ducey, R, who sent buses to Washington D.C., at a cost of $82,000 per trip. The newly sworn in Gov. Katie Hobbs, D, is going to continue the practice but said her administration will do it in a more cost effective way. The cost for the planes has yet to be released.

Hobbs said under her leadership, migrants will get where they need to go to connect with sponsors.

“I think we need to look at that practice and make sure that it’s effective. It’s something that provides support to those local communities,” Gov. Hobbs said. “If we’re spending the money to bus people, why not just get them to their final destination?”