A Democratic state lawmaker in Arizona could face obstruction-of-justice charges after admitting to warning residents about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in her community, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
State Senator Analise Ortiz, a Democrat, acknowledged on social media that she alerts her community when ICE is operating nearby. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the move, claiming Ortiz is choosing criminals over American citizens.
“Arizona state Senator Analise Ortiz is siding with vicious cartels, human traffickers, and violent criminals over American citizens,” McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “Notifying the public about ICE law enforcement operations endangers law enforcement and weakens American national security.”
When asked if Ortiz could face charges, McLaughlin responded, “This certainly looks like obstruction of justice,” citing DHS data that shows an 830% increase in assaults on ICE officers.
“The men and women of ICE put their lives on the line every day to arrest violent criminal illegal aliens to protect and defend the lives of American citizens,” McLaughlin added. “Sanctuary politicians like Arizona Senator Analise Ortiz are contributing to the surge in assaults on our ICE officers through their repeated vilification and demonization of ICE.”
The controversy escalated after the conservative social media account Libs of TikTok criticized Ortiz for posting real-time updates on ICE locations, allegedly warning residents in both English and Spanish that “ICE is present” and revealing specific locations of federal officers. The account urged DHS, ICE, and Border Czar Tom Homan to pursue charges.
Ortiz confirmed the posts were hers, saying, “Yep. When ICE is around, I will alert my community to stay out of the area.” She later added, “I’m not f*****g scared of you nor Trump’s masked goons.”
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, a Republican, condemned Ortiz’s actions, stating, “Public servants have a duty to uphold the law and respect those who enforce it, not undermine them.” He referred the case to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona for investigation, saying her actions may violate federal law.
Ortiz has remained defiant, posting on X: “I will not be intimidated. I will alert our community to avoid the area when Trump’s masked thugs terrorize us all, regardless of citizenship. Trump doesn’t respect our laws nor our constitution. My duty is to keep people safe from his unconstitutional and authoritarian actions.”
