Arizona AG suggests state’s self-defense laws allow residents to shoot masked ICE agents
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 02: Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes speaks at an Arizona AFL-CIOGOTV (Get Out the Vote) canvass launch with union members and supporters at IUPAT Hall on November 2, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. The event highlighted support for Proposition 139 which would codify ‘the fundamental right to an abortion’ in the swing state of Arizona with three days left until Election Day. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON (TNND) — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a recent interview that state self-defense laws could allow residents to use lethal force if they believe they are being threatened by masked individuals, including federal immigration agents who are not clearly identified.
Speaking with 12News, Mayes pointed to Arizona’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which permits the use of deadly force if a person reasonably believes their life is in danger while in their home, vehicle, or on their property.
Mayes warned that the presence of masked federal officers with limited or no visible identification could create dangerous misunderstandings. She described the situation as “a recipe for disaster,” saying residents may not be able to determine whether someone confronting them is a law enforcement officer.
“If you’re being attacked by someone who is not identified as a peace officer — how do you know?” Mayes said during the interview. She added that, in her view, law enforcement officers should not be operating while masked.
Interviewer Brahm Resnik pressed Mayes on whether her comments amounted to permission for residents to shoot federal agents. Mayes responded that she was not encouraging violence, but explaining how Arizona law currently works.
She emphasized that the self-defense statute is a matter of existing law, not advocacy, and said her comments were intended to highlight the risks created by unclear identification during enforcement operations.
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