by Matthew Holloway | Sep 27, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The sniper attack on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas has sparked a wave of reactions from Arizona politicians, reflecting a deeply divided political landscape.
In the attack, a 29-year-old gunman named Joshua Jahn killed one ICE detainee and critically wounded two others before ending his own life. The shooting was described by authorities as a targeted attack, with “anti-ICE” messages found inscribed on ammunition at the scene.
At the federal level, Arizona’s congressional delegation has been vocal, though not uniformly so. Congressmen Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) and Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08) were among the first to respond. Biggs condemned the violence and offered prayer for the affected families, writing, “Violence against our courageous law enforcement officials is completely unacceptable. I am praying for our @ICEgov agents and their families while we await more details.”
Hamadeh posted to X, highlighting the emerging evidence of the crime being motivated by anti-ICE sentiment, writing, “Anti-ICE messages carved on the bullet casings. Another militant left-wing shooter inspired by the media and the left’s constant demonization of our law enforcement officers. These brave men and women are tasked with enforcing our immigration laws and protecting our homeland, and for that, these radicals have put a target on their backs.”
Congressman Eli Crane (R-AZ02) shared posts from the Department of Homeland Security and President Donald Trump throughout the morning and wrote succinctly, “This violence must stop.”
In a Thursday post sharing a video from Benny Johnson, he added, “I stand with ICE. Their critical efforts are only necessary because of the border crisis forced upon everyday Americans by Joe Biden and whoever was really calling the shots while he was dozing off in the White House.”
Democrat Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ04) addressed the attack as well, calling it “Shocking, senseless news out of Dallas this morning.” He posted, “Violence of any kind has no place in America and tears our communities apart. As details continue to emerge about the shooting, we grieve with the families who lost loved ones and pray for the wounded.”
At the state level, the Republican Party of Arizona issued a statement regarding the shooting within the broader context of rising attacks on ICE agents.
“The rise in attacks on our ICE agents is no accident,” the party wrote on X. “In Dallas, a shooter opened fire on an ICE office with ‘ANTI-ICE’ bullets. Here in Arizona, we’ve seen protests escalate into violent clashes with law enforcement during ICE operations. When lawless mobs target the men and women keeping our communities safe, it’s time to draw the line. Arizona stands with ICE and every officer on the frontlines. Enough is enough — attacks on law enforcement will not be tolerated.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the attack a “wake-up call.” She wrote in a statement:
“For months, we’ve been warning politicians and the media to tone down their rhetoric about ICE law enforcement before someone was killed. These horrendous killings must serve as a wake-up call to the far-left that their rhetoric about ICE has consequences. Comparing ICE Day-in and day-out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police, and slave patrols has consequences. The men and women of ICE are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. They get up every morning to try and make our communities safer. Like everyone else, we just want to go home to our families at night. The violence and dehumanization of these men and women who are simply enforcing the law must stop. We are praying for the victims and their families.”
In Arizona, where border security is a profound and omnipresent issue, the incident resonates deeply given the prominent role of ICE throughout the state. Past protests and counter-protests related to ICE activities, some of which have turned violent, are fresh in the minds of many Arizonans and the threat of further violence looms large.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Ethan Faverino | Sep 9, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
While other politicians are calling for attacks on law enforcement officers, Congressman Abe Hamadeh has introduced the Protect and Respect ICE Act (PRICE Act).
This legislation aims to double criminal penalties for individuals who assault, resist, or impede U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and employees.
The PRICE Act addresses a reported 830% surge in assaults on ICE agents between January and July 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, as documented by the Department of Homeland Security.
Notable incidents include a violent attack in Portland, Oregon, where three protestors armed with an incendiary device assaulted ICE agents, and an attack in Texas, where 11 people fired shots at an ICE facility.
Hamadeh recently tweeted on the matter, saying, “If you lay a finger on our Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, you should suffer severe legal consequences. As part of his commitment to supporting law enforcement, Congressman Hamadeh proudly cosponsors the Protect and Respect ICE Act.”
“America’s courageous ICE agents put their lives on the line every day to uphold the rule of law and protect our citizens from violent, criminal illegal aliens,” said cosponsor Congresswoman Ashley Hinson. “Instead of standing with law enforcement, the radical Left sides with dangerous illegal aliens and even wants to strip ICE agents of the gear that keeps them safe. That’s unacceptable. Anyone who assaults an ICE agent must face the harshest possible punishment. That’s why I am fighting to double the federal penalty for attacks on ICE agents. We will never back down in defending our law enforcement, we will never tolerate unhinged assaults on ICE, and we will not stop until every single illegal alien is deported, and our communities are safe.”
The PRICE Act amends Title 18 of the U.S. Code to double the maximum prison term and fines for violations committed against ICE officers or employees.
Supporters say this measure reflects a broader commitment by Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration to reinforce ICE operations, including recent ICE-led raids in major U.S. cities to address rising crime and illegal immigration.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Sep 7, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona Senate Ethics Committee Chairwoman Shawnna Bolick has referred an ethics complaint against Sen. Analise Ortiz to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for review, citing allegations that involve federal law enforcement.
The complaint, filed on September 2nd, accuses Ortiz of interfering with federal immigration enforcement operations in the state. Bolick announced Wednesday that she will formally notify federal prosecutors, saying the allegations fall under their jurisdiction.
“I take this complaint very seriously. Doxing federal ICE agents is not only reckless, it endangers lives and undermines the rule of law,” Bolick said in a statement.
The referral comes as the Senate Ethics Committee has yet to meet in 2025. Bolick said the panel must first adopt its operating rules before it can consider the complaint. Once that step is complete, she added, the committee will review the case “strictly adhering to constitutional standards, as well as applicable state and local laws.”
Bolick distributed the complaint to committee members and Ortiz in a single email “to ensure full transparency,” she said. The issue also connects to Bolick’s legislative record. In 2021, she sponsored HB 2502, a bill signed into law that makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to electronically distribute someone else’s personal information without their consent, with intent to provoke harassment. At the time, it was the first state-level measure addressing the online misuse of personal data.
Until the U.S. Attorney’s Office completes its review, Bolick said, the Senate committee will hold off on further action.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Sep 6, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-LD15) has filed an ethics complaint against Sen. Analise Ortiz (D-LD24), accusing her of endangering public safety by posting online alerts about federal immigration enforcement activity.
Hoffman announced the filing Wednesday, arguing that Ortiz’s actions undermined U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Arizona. He said her public posts alerted individuals targeted by federal agents, putting both officers and civilians at risk.
“By publicly posting alerts about federal law enforcement activity, she actively tipped off individuals being pursued by ICE, jeopardizing the safety of officers and law-abiding citizens,” Hoffman said in a statement.
According to the complaint, Ortiz used her official platform to share real-time information about enforcement operations and urged people to avoid them. The filing states that after being criticized, Ortiz defended her posts with what Hoffman characterized as “inflammatory language.”
The complaint is backed by Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14), Majority Leader John Kavanagh (R-LD3), and other Republican lawmakers. It calls for Ortiz to face expulsion or, at minimum, disciplinary action by the chamber.
“Every law enforcement officer deserves to go home safe at the end of their shift. Every Arizona family deserves to know their elected leaders are protecting them, not siding with lawlessness,” Hoffman said. The Senate Ethics Committee will now review the complaint to determine whether to move forward with a formal investigation or disciplinary measures.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Sep 4, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
On Saturday, in a video recorded at the ICE Eloy Detention Center, Arizona Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ03) again falsely described the illegal aliens held there as her “constituents.”
In the political spectacle, a repeat of Ansari’s controversial visit in July, the congresswoman accused the facility of holding her “constituents, who are trapped inside,” claiming there is “dehumanizing, racist, unacceptable treatment happening inside the Eloy Detention Center that is run by a private company called Core Civic.”
Ansari cited the ongoing case of a foreign national known as ‘Yari,’ identified by ABC15 as Arbella Rodríguez Márquez. Yari is a U.S resident whose green card was revoked after being denied parole on human smuggling charges in July and suffers from Leukemia.
Ansari claimed that Rodríguez Márquez has not received “proper medical treatment,” however, these allegations have been repeatedly refuted by the Department of Homeland Security DHS. Assistant Secretary of the DHS Tricia McLaughlin stated in a post to X:
In her remarks, Ansari said that “the accusations against [Rodríguez Márquez] are egregious,” and that she “was a green-card holder.” But she continues to refer to the foreign national as a “constituent,” despite a statement from a DHS spokesman in July that firmly rejects Ansari’s allegations and Rodríguez Márquez’s misrepresented status as the congresswoman’s “constituent.”
After Ansari claimed that she was denied access to the Eloy Detention Center in July, a DHS spokesman told 12News:
“Allegations that Congresswoman Ansari was denied access to the Eloy Detention Facility are FALSE. After being told that Ansari would be unable to speak with detainees—illegal aliens, not constituents—she did not even show up or have the courtesy to send a cancellation notice to ICE.
“While ICE law enforcement officers face an 830% increase in assaults against them, Congresswoman Ansari is has demonized ICE law enforcement in the past—calling them a ‘military force hell bent on terrorizing immigrant communities.’
“Any claim that there are subprime conditions at ICE detention centers are FALSE. All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers. Ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE. ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens.”
As a legal resident in the United States and not a citizen, even before the revocation of her residency, Rodríguez Márquez was unable to vote in U.S. federal elections legally. Following the revocation of her residency, her legal status reverted to that of a foreign national in the U.S. illegally or an illegal alien and a detainee.
Libs of TikTok observed the discrepancy in a post to X writing, “Rep Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) says she has ‘many constituents’ who are in ICE detention facilities[.] Why do you have ‘constituents’ who are in our country illegally @RepYassAnsari?? Does @RepYassAnsari care this much about her actual constituents who are American citizens?”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
