Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is facing widespread criticism after suggesting during a Tuesday interview that residents could legally use lethal force against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents if they believed their lives were in danger.
Her comments came amid heightened national debates over immigration enforcement and federal law enforcement operations in local communities.
During the interview with 12 News anchor Brahm Resnik, Mayes referenced Arizona’s “Stand Your Ground” law, explaining that it allows residents to defend themselves with deadly force if they reasonably believe their life is at risk.
“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,” Mayes said.
“And we have a Stand Your Ground law that says that if you reasonably believe that your life is in danger, and you’re in your house or your car or on your property, you can defend yourself with lethal force.”
Mayes also criticized ICE officers as “very poorly trained” and questioned their legitimacy as law enforcement. She added that she would prosecute federal agents if they “violate an Arizona law” during operations.
“I mean if somebody comes at me wearing a mask, by the way, I’m a gun owner, and I can’t tell whether they’re a police officer, what am I supposed to do?” she said. “No, I’m not suggesting people pull out their guns, but this is a ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ state.”
The attorney general emphasized that she was relaying legal facts and not encouraging violence, yet her remarks drew sharp rebukes from law enforcement and political leaders.
Arizona GOP Rep. David Schweikert condemned the statements as “dangerous and irresponsible,” warning that casual speculation about shooting federal agents could result in real-world bloodshed.
“If your job is to enforce the law, you do not go on TV and hand out a permission structure for violence, then act surprised when people hear it as a green light,” Schweikert said, according to MEAWW. “Words matter. Especially when they come from the state’s top lawyer.”
The Arizona Police Association echoed concerns, releasing a statement underscoring that ICE officers, like other law enforcement personnel, routinely operate in plain clothes or wear protective masks without diminishing their authority.
APA Executive Director Joe Clure called Mayes’ framing “deeply troubling and dangerous” and warned that her comments could be misinterpreted by unstable individuals as justification to use deadly force against law enforcement officers.
Mayes’ remarks arrive as ICE operations expand in Arizona, raising tensions in local communities already wary of federal enforcement tactics.
DHS officials have repeatedly urged politicians to reduce incendiary rhetoric aimed at federal agents, noting that threats and attacks on law enforcement are on the rise.
Vice President JD Vance similarly called on officials to “tone down the temperature” amid ongoing protests following a federal officer’s fatal shooting in Minnesota earlier this month.
The controversy could influence Mayes’ political future, as she faces re-election this November.
Legal experts and public safety advocates stress that the statements, even if intended as legal commentary, risk creating confusion over lawful self-defense while undermining trust in federal law enforcement.
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