Arizona is among four states at the front lines of the war against illegal immigration—and it is taking its warrior status seriously. Last year, Arizona passed the most controversial state law in recent history, SB 1070. This law put immigration enforcement into the hands of state and local law enforcement agencies, requiring police to inquire about suspects’ residency status. The law had a two-pronged response. Many states across the nation proposed copycat laws while critics condemned Arizona as racist and backwards. A federal judge blocked the more controversial aspects of the law, saying that it infringes on federal jurisdiction. Arizona lost millions in tourism revenue as businesses cancelled conventions in the state a travelers avoided the state in protest of its stance on immigration.

Despite the controversy, Arizona continues to attempt to push the issue. The latest development is a state law that will attempt to build a continuous fence along the entirety of Arizona’s 370 mile-long border with Mexico. The catch is that Arizona doesn’t have the money to do it. The Republican senator who sponsored the bill, Steve Smith, has said, “Unfortunately, the state is broke and quite frankly we can’t take on this massive project by ourselves.” Estimates project that each mile of fence will cost about $3 million, putting the entire cost of the fence at $1.1 billion. This isn’t the only challenge facing Arizona’s border fence project. Much of the land along the Arizona-Mexico border is either publicly or privately owned. Arizona will have to negotiate with private landowners as well as the federal government to get it built.

Smith has a few ideas to counter these roadblocks. First, he plans to solicit Americans in other states for donations, saying that illegal immigration affects all Americans in all states. It would seem ridiculous if Arizona hadn’t already received almost $4 million in donations to fight a court battle with the federal government over SB 1070. By July 20, Smith plans to have a website that will accept online donations. Smith’s goal is to start by raising $50 million in private donations saying, “That would be a good, healthy start.” Smith has proposed building the fence a few miles off the border if the federal government and private landowners won’t cooperate with the plan. Furthermore, to cut costs, Smith plans to use donated materials and to employ inmate laborers to do the work, many of which would ironically be illegal immigrants.

It is unlikely the federal government will cooperate with Arizona’s newest plan and it will only fuel criticism from immigration rights advocacy groups. But Arizona does not shy away from controversy or breaking with the federal government. However, its citizens and many business leaders including the Arizona Chamber of Commerce are getting fed up with Arizona’s lawmakers. A five-bill package seeking to further restrict immigration earlier this year failed due to statewide protests and with 2012 elections coming up, it is possible that Arizona’s voters may respond to these measures by voting in a group of much more liberal politicians who will no doubt campaign on the platform of moderation in the realm of immigration legislation.