The state has become a hub for chip makers including Intel and TSMC, as the government prepares to release a gusher of funds for the strategic industry.
Doug Ducey, the outgoing governor of Arizona, spent $82 million to stack shipping containers along the border with Mexico. His successor, Katie Hobbs, calls it a waste of money.
The idea of sending new arrivals to left-leaning areas circulated in conservative circles for years. It gained traction under Donald J. Trump, and now Republican governors have put it into practice.