Bridget Dowd/KJZZ

Gov. Katie Hobbs addresses the crowd during her inauguration at the Arizona Capitol on Jan. 5, 2023.

Arizona Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs talked about the issue of immigration and border security in the state on Sunday morning.

In a “Fox News Sunday” interview, she defended her decision and cost to maintain the migrant busing program which buses people out of border towns. The program was implemented by her Republican predecessor Doug Ducey.

“We’ve continued the program but I think with a more humane and more efficient spin on it. This money was appropriated by the legislature to specifically bus these legal asylum seekers,” she said.

Hobbs claimed her version of the program is not a political stunt and criticized the federal government for failing to address what she called an “immigration crisis.”

Additionally, she addressed her budget proposal that would effectively repeal last year’s universal expansion of the state’s school voucher program.

During the interview, Hobbs responded to criticism of her proposal by some state lawmakers, including Rep. Leo Biasiucci (R-Lake Havasu City).

“This is going to bankrupt our state, and many independent analyses have showed that, and we’re not calling for a repeal of the entire program. We’re just calling for a repeal of the universal expansion,” she said.

She also defended her $40 million plan to provide Dreamers with financial assistance to help pay for college — something Biasiucci also criticized.

Hobbs said that proposal is “right in line with Arizona voters” who passed a proposition to provide in-state tuition for undocumented high school students.