by Staff Reporter | Dec 9, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Rep. Adelita Grijalva claimed ICE agents pepper sprayed her; the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) debunked her version of events.
Instead, DHS says Grijalva joined the mob attempting to obstruct an immigration raid on a Tucson taco restaurant chain.
In a video posted on Friday to X, Grijalva said ICE had just “pushed aside and pepper sprayed” her after she allegedly attempted to intervene with their raid by presenting herself as an elected official.
Grijalva didn’t show any signs of physical distress typical of a pepper spray recipient until well over a minute after the video started, when she gave one single cough after mentioning the pepper spray incident following her story about the raid.
“[I] was sprayed in the face by a very aggressive agent, pushed around by others, when I literally was not being aggressive, I was asking for clarification, which is my right as a member of Congress,” said Grijalva. “Everybody that was with me, my staff member, myself, two staff members, we have like remnants of whatever they sprayed on us.”
Pepper spray usually results in a severe burning sensation in the eyes, skin, and throat, and may temporarily blind and restrict breathing. These symptoms manifest as red, swollen, closed, teary eyes; gasping and coughing; red and itchy skin; and possibly a runny nose and dizziness. Apart from the single cough, Grijalva didn’t exhibit any of those symptoms.
These effects last an hour at least, with some residuals lasting up to 24 hours.
In her video, Grijalva described those unlawfully intervening with immigration enforcement as “protecting their people.” Grijalva complained law enforcement were “rude and disrespectful” when she tried to exert some control over the situation.
Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary, said Grijalva’s physical wellness following the altercation would be “a medical marvel,” and served as further proof that she wasn’t targeted by ICE agents.
“She wasn’t pepper sprayed. She was in the vicinity of someone who *was* pepper sprayed as they were obstructing and assaulting law enforcement,” said McLaughlin. “In fact, two law enforcement officers were seriously injured by this mob that [Grijalva] joined. Presenting one’s self as a ‘Member of Congress’ doesn’t give you the right to obstruct law enforcement.”
A video of Grijalva posted of the moment she claimed ICE agents attacked her shows Grijalva repeatedly approaching ICE agents in an attempt to intervene with their arrests of illegal immigrants.
Grijalva posted a snippet of the video showing a gas canister hitting near her feet as she approached ICE agents.
Other videos of Grijalva showed her telling ICE agents to release a rioter being detained for intervening with immigration enforcement.
On Monday, Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller announced a partnership with ICE in a press briefing. Miller said sanctuary cities and the progressive politicians who create and support them were to blame for the harboring of criminal illegal immigrants, specifically calling out Reps. Grijalva and Yassamin Ansari. Miller compared Grijalva to Jussie Smollett, the actor who falsely claimed Trump supporters perpetrated a hate crime against him in 2019.
“Politicans like Representatives Grijalva and Ansari have made people believe that they are safe in those cities. I’m here to let you know they’re not. There are no sanctuary cities in Arizona,” said Miller.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Oct 27, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Representative Andy Biggs (AZ-05) has introduced the Deportation Disclosure Act, legislation designed to enhance transparency in the nation’s immigration enforcement system by requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to publicly disclose key details of individuals with final orders of removal.
The bill amends Section 240 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1229a) to mandate that DHS publish on its official website, for every individual issued a final order of removal after the date of enactment: the individual’s name, a photograph, any known aliases, and the last known state of residence.
This measure follows the September 2025 arrest by ICE of Ian Roberts, a Guyanese national who had been serving as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools despite a standing final order of deportation.
Roberts, who has an extensive criminal history, allegedly falsified claims of U.S. citizenship and work authorization to secure his position.
“At the end of 2024, more than a million illegal aliens, including Ian Roberts, had final orders of removal against them, but were roaming freely in the United States,” said Congressman Biggs. “Instead of enforcing our immigration laws and deporting illegal aliens who had due process in our immigration courts, the Biden administration focused on making it as easy as possible for illegal aliens of any and every criminal background to enter and stay in our nation. Making final orders of removal readily accessible to the public will only increase public safety and ensure incidents like this one don’t happen again.”
Grant Newman, Director of Government Relations at the Immigration Accountability Project, added, “The Deportation Disclosure Act would bring much-needed transparency and accountability to our immigration enforcement process. By making final orders of removal accessible, this bill would empower communities and law enforcement, ensuring that individuals who have already received due process in our courts cannot hide in plain sight.”
Congressman Biggs emphasized that the Trump administration is actively working to reverse the border security lapses of the Biden-Harris-Mayorkas era, thus protecting American communities and restoring integrity to the immigration system.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Oct 8, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
A popular Phoenix drag star and DACA recipient was arrested for sex with a minor last month.
Michael “Mikey” Browder, 35 — better known in the Valley by the drag persona “Aubrey Ghalichi” — was arrested for having sex with a 13-year-old boy.
Per court records obtained by ABC 15 News, the 13-year-old victim posed as an 18-year-old on an online dating website. In an interview with police, Browder allegedly admitted to the crime, but on the caveat that the victim looked to be of age and that the victim’s apartment was too dark to discern the victim’s age.
Browder, a DACA recipient, worked for the Arizona Dream Act Coalition (ADAC) as a DACA coordinator. He told media outlets that he qualified for a work permit under former President Barack Obama’s program for those who immigrated to America illegally as children.
Browder was also an involved anti-ICE activist. In February, Browder was one of many to protest for hours at the Arizona State Capitol against mass deportations initiated by President Donald Trump.
Browder immigrated illegally into the United States from Mexico when he was 10 years old with his mother, Vanessa “Cherry Elizabeth” Browder, who also resides in the Valley.
Browder didn’t apply for DACA until December 2020 when he was 30 years old, according to an interview with AZ Mirror. Browder reported receiving an approval letter in June 2021, less than five months after he and six others with ADAC flew to Washington, D.C. to “send a message” to then-incoming President Joe Biden and his administration.
“We want immigration reform now. We’ve waited eight years since Obama; he said there was going to be some kind of immigration reform for DACA recipients and it hasn’t happened yet,” said Browder in an interview with Prospect. “We’re hopeful that Biden does something now because a lot of us would like to vote hopefully in the next election, in 2024.”
If convicted, Browder could qualify for deportation.
DACA recipients must renew their status every two years. Under federal law, disqualification for renewal extends to those who commit any misdemeanor that is an offense of domestic violence, sexual abuse or exploitation, burglary, unlawful possession or use of a firearm, drug distribution or trafficking, or driving under the influence.
Additionally, those who pose a threat to national security or public safety, those who receive sentencing to time in custody for more than 90 days, or those convicted of a felony or three or more other misdemeanors don’t qualify for DACA renewal.
While working with ADAC, Browder handled the advance parole application process for DACA applicants.
Browder worked closely alongside ADAC executive director Karina Ruiz de Diaz — the LUCHA activist and illegal immigrant benefitting from DACA who filmed herself following then-Senator Kyrsten Sinema into a bathroom in October 2022.
Browder’s husband, John Andrew Covarrubias, has been a writer and producer for multiple networks, including Prime Video and Amazon Studios, Starz, the CW Network, Marvel Studios, NBC Universal, and CBS Television Studios according to LinkedIn. Per his Facebook, Browder has also worked for Paramount Studios.
Browder was scheduled to be a headline performer at Phoenix Pride Festival next week, as first reported by ABC 15.
Phoenix Pride’s board of directors issued a statement condemning the allegations. The organization also disputed the validity of online claims that they created a December 2023 event featuring Browder called “Holiday With the Queens,” which they said never existed.
“Phoenix Pride remains committed to creating safe, affirming, and empowering spaces for our LGBTQ+ community,” said the organization.
Phoenix Pride named Browder’s drag persona, Aubrey Ghalichi, the winner of the 2022 Mayor Phil Gordon Spirit Award — though for both the 2022 and 2020 honorees of that award, the organization put a description of another LGBTQ+ activist, Adonias Arevalo-Melara.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
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.
