by Staff Reporter | Apr 28, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Attorney General Kris Mayes is suing to stop the construction of a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Surprise.
Mayes announced the lawsuit on Friday. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to renovate a vacant warehouse it purchased in January for about $70 million into an immigration detention facility.
Mayes also hosted a press conference to announce the lawsuit. Present with her were Senate Assistant Minority Leader Catherine Miranda (D-LD11) and State Sen. Analise Ortiz (D-LD24).
Mayes claimed the federal government failed to hold public forums and conduct the proper environmental reviews.
The attorney general also argued the federal government needed permission prior to acting on this immigration enforcement initiative.
“The federal government did not ask the people of Surprise whether they wanted this,” said Mayes. “They did not ask the parents of the students that attend any of the schools near this site if they were okay with this. They did not ask the firefighters and paramedics, who would be the first to respond if something went wrong, if this was a good idea.”
Mayes accused the Trump administration of violating federal laws, to include the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Administrative Procedures Act (APA).
“The Trump administration has run roughshod over federal law in its rush to expand detention capacity across the country,” said Mayes. “The federal government did not ask the people of Surprise whether they wanted this facility in their backyards. They simply bought a warehouse, handed a $300 million contract to a private company and told the City to deal with it.”
The city of Surprise issued a public statement saying the DHS purchase of the facility was news to them. The city also emphasized that it didn’t have the power to assist or interfere with federal immigration enforcement.
“The City was not aware that there were efforts underway to purchase the building, was not notified of the transaction by any of the parties involved and has not been contacted by DHS or any federal agency about the intended use of the building. It’s important to note, Federal projects are not subject to local regulations, such as zoning,” said the city. “When it comes to immigration enforcement, local law enforcement does not enforce federal immigration laws; Surprise Police Department enforces local and state laws. While we do not participate in ICE operations, we also cannot interrupt or prevent their operations.”
The lawsuit filed in the Arizona District Court alleges the facility is unsuitable for mass detainment based on claims that the location lacks the appropriate water and wastewater infrastructure, and the location exists across the street from a chemical storage facility as well as two public schools.
Several hundred followed up the attorney general’s lawsuit with a protest over the weekend. An ICE spokesperson said in a statement that they had evaluated the use of existing facilities to minimize potential impacts on the environment, including protected species, natural resources, and cultural resources.
“Let’s be honest about what is happening. This isn’t about the environment,” said the spokesperson. “It’s about trying to stop President Trump from making America safe.”
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by Staff Reporter | Apr 27, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
A media mouthpiece for the Islamic regime is praising Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-03) for her actions in support of Iran.
Ansari was featured on the front page of an Islamic Republic newspaper, Sazandegi, for her efforts to resist President Donald Trump’s approach to Iran.
The congresswoman filed Articles of Impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth earlier this month. (This title is Hegseth’s preferred alternate, authorized in an executive order last September as an unofficial secondary title; along those lines, the “Department of War” is another option for “Department of Defense.”)
In a statement, Ansari accused Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors against Iranians. She also accused Hegseth of abuse of office and undignified conduct, unlawful military actions, and unauthorized disclosure of classified information.
Ansari’s parents came to the U.S. from Iran. As many did, Ansari’s father overstayed a student visa to escape the Islamic Revolution. That visa was initially awarded to him in the early 1970s to attend the University of Oregon for engineering.
Ansari’s mother came approximately a decade later; Ansari told The Guardian that her mother entered as a citizen since her grandfather had completed a medical residency in the U.S. several decades prior. One of Ansari’s grandfathers was imprisoned by the regime, Ansari told The New York Times.
Ansari also told The Times that she desires a secular democracy for Iran. She has condemned the present regime for its terrorism and treatment of women.
“I can say wholeheartedly: I want to see an actual democratic state, a secular state, a state where the people have decided who their leader is,” said Ansari. “Ultimately, I do think there needs to be an internationally monitored referendum, free and fair elections, because Iran is also a very diverse country. There’s 90 million people, and it’s not just Persians. There’s, you know, Armenians, Kurds. There’s different Jews, Baha’is, Muslims. Many people are secular. There’s got to be a coalition, and there’s got to be a model that is representative of everyone.”
Despite those remarks and her parents’ backgrounds, Ansari has proven through her resistance to Trump and stalwart defense of Iran to be a favorite of the Islamic regime.
The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) and Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian-Americans (PAAIA), both pro-Iran lobbyist groups, endorsed Ansari throughout her campaign for Congress.
Ansari has voiced continual opposition to U.S. involvement in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
In an interview with The Guardian several weeks ago, Ansari called Trump a mentally ill, evil man that deserved to be removed from office over dragging the U.S. into the war.
“There is no doubt in my mind he is mentally unstable and not all there but I also believe he is a deeply troubled, evil human being that only cares about himself and his family,” said Ansari. “He has shown that throughout his entire life. He has shown that throughout his presidency by ripping away healthcare and basic necessities from the average American, while he and his family have made billions of dollars.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 26, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
A Pima County supervisor wants the sheriff out of office after details of his past misconduct came to light.
Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz is accusing Nanos of “perpetrat[ing] a fraud” on the Pima County community for decades. Heinz has been calling for Nanos’ ouster for over a month now.
Nanos, no stranger to controversy, came under fire again for his alleged mishandling of the investigation into the apparent kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, 84. Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson home nearly three months ago. As of this report, no leads about her kidnapper(s) have been made public.
Doubts over his administration of the high-profile disappearance prompted further scrutiny into Nanos’ past. The Arizona Republic reported on records indicating that Nanos falsified his resume in order to be hired by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) over 40 years ago.
Nanos is accused of failing to disclose the alleged misconduct that led to his resignation while working for the El Paso Police Department in New Mexico back in the 1980s.
Nanos received 37 days of suspension or leave for eight misconduct incidents, ranging from poor behaviors to violence. One incident yielded a 15-day suspension for allegedly beating a handcuffed robbery suspect seated in the back of a cop car with a flashlight.
According to reports, it was that latter incident that caused the El Paso Police Department to be sued and forced Nanos to resign in 1982 in lieu of termination. However, Nanos claimed on his resume that he left the El Paso Police Department in 1984.
“He’s a bad cop. He made really bad decisions, and then lied about his past to convince then-Pima County officials to hire him back in 1984. He also lied about that gap in time. He used to say 1982,” said Heinz in an interview with NewsNation. “We shouldn’t even know his name. We should not know the name Nanos.”
PCSD said in a press release issued last month that the date discrepancies were “administrative in nature” and weren’t part of an intentional effort to mislead or misrepresent Nanos’ work history.
Heinz also accused Nanos of holding a grudge against the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) over a 2015-2016 investigation into his department over the possible misuse of around $500,000 in Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) funds. That investigation ended up costing Nanos his chief deputy, who was indicted, and ultimately the sheriff’s race.
“He has held a grudge against the FBI and refused to fully work with them going forward,” said Heinz.
Heinz said it was possible this potential personal grievance by Nanos had jeopardized Guthrie’s case.
Nanos’s attorney, James Cool, said in a statement that the sheriff’s past has no bearing on his present conduct.
“Whatever the Sheriff did or did not do before being elected is necessarily unrelated to his performance of the duties of his office,” stated Cool.
During their next meeting (May 12), the Pima County Board of Supervisors plan to review a report submitted by Nanos answering questions about his employment history and current administration. The board has entertained considerations of removal proceedings, but hasn’t made any final decisions.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 26, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The housing moratorium crippling new construction in the Valley imposed by Gov. Katie Hobbs’ administration may not go on for much longer.
The Maricopa County Superior Court struck down the moratorium on Tuesday in Home Builders Association of Central Arizona v. Arizona Department of Water Resources, et al.
Under Hobbs, the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) issued new groundwater regulations rolled out in November 2024 dubbed the “Unmet Demand Rule” and the “Depth-to Water Rule.”
Per the court, these rules went impermissibly beyond the longstanding obligation for builders outlined in Arizona law, which required assurance of sufficient groundwater supply in order for each development to take place (100 years’ worth).
ADWR imposed the rules based on a groundwater model claiming that unmet demand and exceedance of the 1,000-foot depth-to-water limit existed throughout Phoenix. In other words, their regulations meant a developer seeking a certificate for one subdivision had to answer not just for their development area, but for the water status of the entire Valley. This resulted in ADWR’s indefinite suspension on granting certificates to any developers.
The consequence of these regulations brought new home construction to a halt throughout Maricopa County. The Home Builders Association of Central Arizona (HBACA), a trade association for the residential construction and development industry, challenged ADWR’s authority to impose new rules.
ADWR attempted to style the Unmet Demand Rule as a new implementation of an old rule, but the Maricopa Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney rejected that view as an undoing of the necessary limitations of administrative agency powers.
“‘To permit this would neuter all statutory limits on agency rule-making[,]’” stated Blaney in his ruling, quoting HBACA’s argument.
Blaney also found that ADWR didn’t follow state law on agency rulemaking under the Administrative Procedures Act. Blaney invalidated both rules.
“ADWR acted unlawfully by implementing two agency rules without first complying with the mandatory provisions of the APA[,]” wrote Blaney.
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AFEC) called the court ruling a win and criticized ADWR’s model justifying the overturned regulations as flawed.
“The Maricopa County Superior Court has struck down the Hobbs Administration’s attempt to impose a sweeping housing moratorium based on its flawed water model — a stinging loss for Katie Hobbs and a ruling that the state failed to follow proper legal procedures,” stated AFEC. “This is a major victory for transparency, accountability, and Arizona homeowners.”
Jonathan Riches, vice president for litigation and general counsel for the Goldwater Institute, represented the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona. Goldwater Institute’s vice president for legal affairs, Timothy Sandefur, hailed the ruling as a necessary check on an administrative state attempting to impose greater burdens than that which the law requires.
“The case is also a reminder of the dangerous power that the pervasive ‘administrative state’ wields over our daily lives — as unelected and unaccountable bureaucracies exert authority over every detail of construction, business, and property ownership, to cite just a few examples,” said Sandefur. “The only solution to the arbitrariness and lawlessness of these agencies is to rein in their power — and for courts to ensure that they obey the law.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 25, 2026 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
The coalition behind a ballot initiative to roll back the universality of Arizona’s school choice program is facing a campaign finance complaint.
On Thursday, the Protect Education Accountability Act Now Committee (PEANC) was made subject to a complaint, reviewed by AZ Free News. PEANC was accused of falsely claiming that out-of-state contributors amounted to a mere nine percent of funding.
PEANC filed the ballot initiative, “Protect Education Act” last month. If approved, the initiative would impose an income cap on enrollment in the Empowerment Scholarship Account Program, among other restrictions to include an elimination of funding rollover. The Protect Education Act superseded an earlier version, the “Protect Education, Accountability Now Act.”
In order to make the ballot, the initiative will need nearly 256,000 signatures. PEANC reported gathering over 150,000 signatures during a virtual press conference on Friday.
The complainant, Jack Johnson Pannell, cited a disclaimer posted to the bottom of PEANC’s website. That disclaimer reflects PEANC’s total out-of-state contributors account for only nine percent of its total funding.
Arizona law requires political action committee advertisements to disclose the aggregate percentage of out-of-state contributors as calculated at the time the advertisement was produced for publication, display, delivery, or broadcast.
Pannell’s complaint called for a declaration that PEANC violated Arizona campaign finance disclosure law and an action against the committee.
Pannell said on X that Arizona families deserve the truth behind PEANC. Pannell is the founder of Trinity Arch Prep School for Boys, a microschool.
“More than 100,000 families are choosing great options for educating their children,” said Pannell. “It’s a cheap shot to accuse hardworking people of cheating the system. It just ain’t true.”
Contrary to this disclaimer, campaign finance records reveal that 98 percent — $4.5 million, or nearly all of PEANC’s $4.6 million in funding — have come from special interest groups in Washington, D.C.
That $4.5 million came from the National Education Association in four allotments delivered throughout February and March. The first payments from the NEA (over $2.3 million) came on February 13 — exactly a week after PEANC registered their website domain.
The earliest available archived version of the site captured on February 12 reflected an out-of-state contributions disclosure totaled at 50 percent.
Other major donors included the Arizonans For Quality Education ($50,000), Nita and Phil Francis ($25,000), and Arizona Education Association ($10,000).
99 percent of AFQE’s funding has come from “shadow sponsors”: unnamed corporations and LLCs. The remainder of the funding, less than half of a percent, came from Christopher Kotterman on behalf of the Friends of ASBA.
Kotterman became a senior policy advisor for Gov. Katie Hobbs in late 2024.
Phil Francis is the retired chairman and CEO of PetSmart; Nita Francis formerly chaired the Valleywise Health Foundation board.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed Justan Rice as the current chairman of Arizonans For Quality Education (AFQE). Rice left AFQE in June 2025 before the donation to PEANC was made.
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