It's widely known among Latinos that Arizona has a hostile reputation when it comes to undocumented immigrants, and is known for trying to root out people who are in the state illegally. A large number of people have signed up for protection in the state through the government's deferred action program, according to reports.

Arizona is currently being challenged in federal court for a state rule that makes it hard to get a drivers license even if you have a work permit, and a more infamous law that gives police the authority to question people about their immigration status if they are believed to be undocumented migrants.

None of this had endeared the state to people coming over the U.S. - Mexico border to find work or be reunited with families. 

Arizona is reportedly the state with the highest number of people applying for protection out of any other state. With a reported 1.6 million people eligible for the program nationwide, a recent study by the Migration Policy Institute shows that 2 out of 3 people eligible in Arizona are seeking protection under the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals Law, or DACA, which was passed nearly two years ago.

Last week the House voted 216 to 192 to end the DACA program, citing it as a cause for the current undocumented minors immigration crisis. Critics of the legislation said it makes children think they can come here and be eligible for work permits.

The program protects people who have come to the U.S. prior to turning 16 years old. It's for those individuals who want to remain in the country and get proper documentation so that they can work here while their cases are being worked on. But the protection extends beyond just that. The law also covers people who were younger than 31 before June 15, 2012--and also people who were on U.S. soil that day. Still, another requirement covers people who have been in the U.S. for five years straight prior to June 15, 2012; however, those people need to have been in school, earned a college degree or have served time in the military.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, a total of 643,000 have applied to stay.

In Arizona some 23,000 people submitted their applications by March 31, according to Verde News. A total of 20,000 have qualified already, and the immigration study referenced above shows that some 11,000 people who are eligible to apply have not done so.