Arizona Senator Referred for Probe After Warning Residents of ICE Raids

Arizona State Sen. Analise Ortiz is facing a formal ethics complaint and a referral to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona after publicly asserting she will continue to warn undocumented immigrants about Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in her Phoenix-area district. Senate President Warren Petersen confirmed he asked federal prosecutors to examine whether Ortiz’s actions, which include posting notices of ICE activity on social media and allegedly disclosing agent identities, amount to obstruction of justice. Ortiz, a first-term Democrat, maintains that her alerts are protected speech intended to keep constituents safe. “When ICE is around, I will alert my community to stay out of the area, and I’m not scared,” she told local media, reiterating comments first posted online on 5 Aug. The Department of Homeland Security countered that such warnings endanger officers and undermine national security, noting an 800 percent rise in assaults on ICE agents. The dispute comes as other Democratic officials adopt similar tactics. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass this week promoted the city’s “rapid response network,” urging residents to notify neighbors if they see masked, unmarked officers who might be conducting immigration raids. Conservatives say the practice hampers federal law enforcement, while supporters argue it safeguards vulnerable communities.