by Staff Reporter | May 19, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Maricopa County Superior Court ruled that Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller violated the law by entering an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The agreement — the 287(g) Task Force Model initiated last August — empowered Pinal County law enforcement to exercise certain federal immigration enforcement powers. This arrangement heavily relied on information-sharing to assist ICE with locating and arresting illegal aliens.
The Pinal County Board of Supervisors disapproved of the agreement. The supervisors contended that Miller needed their permission to enter into such an agreement, citing limitations within the state constitution and statute.
Outside counsel brought on by the county concurred with their view, but the Phoenix ICE Field Office said the 287(g) agreement could only be ended by either Miller or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). When Miller refused to renege on the agreement, the supervisors initiated the legal action which culminated in Friday’s ruling.
During the hearing on Friday, Superior Court Judge Michael Gordon said Miller had exceeded his authority and intruded upon Pinal County Sheriff Ross Teeple’s authority.
Miller said in response to Friday’s ruling that the decision would allow for the continued victimization of Pinal County residents at the hands of criminal illegal aliens.
“[W]e must now wait until those individuals create another victim and end up back in jail on a new charge under the Sheriff’s Jail Agreement,” stated Miller.
Miller said he is “strongly considering” an appeal.
Board Chairman Jeffrey McClure’s response was that their lawsuit didn’t represent a rejection of immigration enforcement, but rather a rejection of Miller’s claim to authority.
“This Board has supported federal authorities and immigration enforcement for years. This lawsuit is about whether elected officials must follow Arizona law, respect the limits of their office and properly safeguard taxpayer dollars,” said McClure. “We support law enforcement partnerships that are properly authorized and fiscally sound.”
Teeple confirmed his office works and shares information with ICE on a daily basis.
The board approved a 287(g) agreement for Pinal County Sheriff’s Office regarding county jail assistance.
Earlier this week, Teeple and McClure claimed in a joint public letter that Miller’s ICE agreement wasted and abused taxpayer funds, and had diverted county attorney investigators from criminal prosecution support to federal immigration enforcement.
“Our position is clear: Mr. Miller has hired staff for new jobs that were never authorized, offered salaries that were never approved, and used public resources in ways that raise grave safety concerns,” stated Teeple and McClure. “[The county attorney’s] office prosecutes cases under Arizona law and represents county officials in civil matters. When those boundaries are crossed, it creates legal conflict, financial risk, and confusion that ultimately harms the public.”
Ahead of Friday’s hearing and ruling, Miller shared an X post advocating for the arrest of the board of supervisors for obstruction.
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by Staff Reporter | May 15, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Activist organizations are promoting online “neighborhood defense” trainings that teach participants how to canvass communities and prepare local businesses for potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, according to event listings and organizing materials circulated in Arizona and California-linked activist networks.
The trainings, promoted under the title “WOB Neighborhood Defense Team Training,” are scheduled as recurring virtual sessions and described as instruction on how to “canvass your community to prepare people in case of an ICE raid.” A May 14 event listing states that ICE raids are “intensifying across the country” and that worksites and businesses are being targeted.
One Reddit post, circulated through the Arizona-focused “AZAdvocacyHub” community, advertised the training as an online event hosted by Organized Power in Numbers, encouraging users to register even if they could not attend live to receive “the recording of the training and the materials.”
According to the event description, the trainings take place monthly on the second Thursday of each month over Zoom. An additional event listing published by Indivisible Roseville in California described the sessions as “Neighborhood Defense Team Training” events designed to prepare communities and businesses for ICE enforcement activity.
Organized Power in Numbers describes itself as an organization that combines organizing, digital infrastructure, and data strategy to “build worker power in the South and Southwest.” The organization’s website lists campaigns including “Workers Over Billionaires” and “Power Up AZ.”
The organization’s resource pages include downloadable “Know Your Rights” materials and workplace guidance concerning immigration enforcement encounters. One document distributed through the group advises businesses that ICE officers may not enter “private areas” of a workplace without permission or a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
Organized Power in Numbers has also promoted what it calls an “Emergency Worker Defense Fund,” launched in partnership with the Los Angeles Worker Center Network, to support workers affected by ICE enforcement operations in Los Angeles and the Southwest.
The trainings and organizing efforts come amid continuing national debate over immigration enforcement policy and workplace raids.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, worksite enforcement investigations are intended to reduce illegal employment practices, hold employers accountable for unlawful hiring practices, and protect lawful employment opportunities. ICE states that Homeland Security Investigations conducts worksite enforcement operations targeting employers suspected of knowingly employing unauthorized workers or engaging in labor exploitation and related crimes.
Immigration enforcement operations have increasingly become flashpoints in states such as California, where state and local officials have enacted sanctuary policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
California officials have also expanded worker notification requirements related to immigration enforcement activity. Earlier this year, the California Department of Industrial Relations announced implementation guidance for a state law requiring annual workplace notices informing employees of their rights during immigration enforcement encounters, regardless of immigration status.
Supporters of the “neighborhood defense” trainings characterize the efforts as legal-rights education and community preparedness intended to ensure that workers and residents understand constitutional protections during enforcement encounters.
Critics, however, argue that activist-organized ‘community defense’ infrastructure risks crossing the line from legal education into organized interference with federal immigration enforcement operations.
Immigration attorneys and advocacy organizations, however, commonly advise employers and workers regarding distinctions between public and private workplace areas during enforcement encounters.
The issue has gained renewed attention as federal immigration enforcement priorities continue to expand under the Trump administration. Reuters reported earlier this year that the administration was planning broader immigration crackdowns and increased workplace enforcement efforts. The Department of Justice has also challenged sanctuary policies in several jurisdictions, including Los Angeles.
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by Staff Reporter | May 5, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Attorney General Kris Mayes defended the city of Phoenix’s new policy that prevents Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from entering city property without permission.
Mayes published a 17-page investigative report last week determining the city’s action doesn’t limit or restrict enforcement of federal immigration law.
In March, Phoenix City Council approved a resolution requiring law enforcement to obtain permission from the city prior to conducting operations on property owned or controlled by the city.
Mayes ruled that requiring the city to allow federal immigration enforcement access to city property was equivalent to requiring local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, which the federal law does not require.
“With limited exceptions, federal law does not purport to compel the states’ participation in immigration enforcement, and therefore generally permits localities to refuse cooperation with immigration enforcement activities,” stated Mayes.
Further on in the report, Mayes determined that immigration enforcement would need to obtain a judicial warrant or consent to access non-public city property without permission. Mayes said law enforcement has ample freedom to carry out immigration enforcement on public property, namely public rights-of-way, the airport, and Phoenix Municipal Court.
“This means that federal immigration officials are not presumptively prohibited from staging an enforcement operation on, for example, Phoenix sidewalks, and need not seek the City Manager’s advanced approval before commencing such operations,” wrote Mayes. “In this way, the Regulation simply designates how the City will decide whether to grant the consent to access non-public areas of City-owned property that federal law already requires immigration officials to obtain; it delegates that decision to the City Manager, in consultation with the Police Chief.”
Copied on this report were Gov. Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14), Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-LD29), and State Rep. Quang Nguyen (R-LD01). Nguyen requested the report; per state law, which triggers an investigation by the attorney general.
Another one of Mayes’ interpretations of the law as it relates to ICE has been widely contested.
The attorney general made the case in a January interview that individuals had justification for shooting masked ICE agents under Arizona’s “Stand Your Ground” law.
“It’s kind of a recipe for disaster. Because you have these masked federal officers with very little identification, sometimes no identification, wearing plain clothes and masks,” said Mayes. “[The] law says that if you reasonably believe your life is in danger and you’re in your house or your car or on your property that you could defend yourself with lethal force.”
Mayes’ defense for justified shootings of ICE agents sparked bipartisan controversy. Gov. Hobbs said it was “inappropriate,” possibly dangerous, and needed to be retracted. The new chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, Sergio Arellano, said it was “reckless” and a direct endangerment of law enforcement. Legislative leaders censured Mayes.
Amid the fallout over Mayes’ remarks, anti-ICE activists have taken to vandalizing the ICE Phoenix Field Office with death threats.
Last week Mayes filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security to stop its planned ICE detention facility in Surprise.
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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 8, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Republican lawmakers are challenging Pima County over its resolution to prevent federal immigration enforcement from using county property.
House and Senate leadership filed a complaint with Attorney General Kris Mayes on Monday requesting an SB1487 Investigation. There is only one other active complaint under this designation, relating to a similar regulation prohibiting federal immigration enforcement activity on city property passed by the city of Phoenix.
In February, Pima County adopted a resolution, “Protecting County-Owned Properties,” prohibiting county departments, agencies, and employees from giving federal officials access to county buildings without a court warrant. The policy also barred departments, agencies, and employees from voluntarily assisting, facilitating, or cooperating with immigration enforcement.
The policy also prohibited county property from being used for staging areas, processing locations, or operations bases for immigration enforcement. The county defined staging area to include an assembling, mobilization, or deployment of vehicles, equipment, materials, or personnel for immigration enforcement.
Pima County Supervisor Rex Scott told AZPM that federal agents would have to justify themselves to county officials.
“If somebody with an enforceable warrant comes in, wanting to deal with what we’ve heard are the ‘worst of the worst,’ they’re going to be able to do that,” said Scott. “These warrantless, random sweeps that we’ve been seeing around the country are not going to happen on county property.”
Pima County Supervisor Tanya Nunez went a step further. She told KOLD that ICE needed to cease operations entirely.
“It’s a first step, it’s an important step, but it is really just the beginning. We need to have ICE not operate anywhere in our community, not just county property,” said Nunez.
According to the supervisors, the goal of the resolution was to prevent mass deportations and to limit immigration agents to warrant-based actions.
GOP leadership in the legislature say this resolution violates Arizona law prohibiting subdivisions of the state from limiting or restricting the enforcement of federal immigration laws, and the Supremacy Clause included in the Arizona Constitution.
Senate President Warren Petersen called the resolution a “radical” undermining of public safety in a press release.
“We’re seeing Democrat-run local governments put radical political agendas ahead of public safety,” said Petersen. “Instead of supporting law enforcement and protecting their citizens from crime, they’re creating barriers that make it harder to enforce the law and easier for criminals to stay in our communities.”
Senate President Pro Tempore TJ Shope argued these patchwork mandates from municipalities would only undermine law and order.
“This is about making sure our laws are applied consistently across Arizona,” said Shope. “When one county decides to go rogue, it creates gaps that undermine enforcement statewide. Arizonans expect coordination between all levels of government, not policies that tie the hands of law enforcement.”
House Majority Leader John Kavanagh questioned whether Mayes would have an biased approach, given her outspoken criticisms of ICE.
“Given her record and her public opposition to immigration enforcement, there is a serious question about whether she can review this case objectively. This is not a policy debate. The law is clear, and it must be applied,” said Kavanagh.
The city of Phoenix passed a regulation similar to Pima County’s resolution last month.
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