On the issues: Lombardo, Ford positions on immigration enforcement

While governors have limited authority over immigration policy, they serve as the public face of their state's relationship with the federal government, which is responsible for enforcement. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is running for governor, share the position that undocumented immigrants who commit crimes should be removed, and both have opposed so-called sanctuary policies.

Lombardo told the Las Vegas Review-Journal he supports securing the border and removing individuals who are in the country illegally and commit crimes, but said he does not support proactive, in-the-field immigration enforcement by the state. He noted the federal government no longer designates Nevada as a sanctuary jurisdiction, which he said had previously created an environment of hiding or preventing people from answering for their immigration status.

Ford has declined interview requests from the Review-Journal but has addressed immigration at campaign town halls. He said he supports federal authorities enforcing immigration law as long as they use their own funds and act lawfully. "If you live here, and you are breaking the law, you should be held accountable. ICE has a job to do when it comes to unlawful activity," Ford said at a Sept. 28 town hall.

Ford also warned against what he described as masked vigilantes entering the state and terrorizing neighborhoods, referencing the fatal shooting of U.S. citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents during demonstrations in Minnesota earlier this year. "What we will not countenance is masked — essentially vigilantes — coming into our state, terrorizing our neighborhoods, and in some instances, killing American citizens," he said.

Immigration enforcement activity in Nevada has increased significantly under the Trump administration. According to an analysis of Deportation Data Project numbers by researchers at UC Berkeley and UCLA, ICE agents arrested 4,745 people in Nevada during Trump's first 19 months back in office, compared with 1,106 bookings during former President Joe Biden's final 19 months. The monthly average rose from 58 arrests under Biden to about 250 under Trump.

Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal