Border Report – Arizona lawmaker doubles down on alerting migrants of ICE raids

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Advocacy organizations are defending an Arizona lawmaker’s use of social media to alert the public about ongoing immigration raids in their communities.

The president of the state Senate, meantime, is calling for a federal investigation because he believes his colleague may have committed a crime by trying to prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from doing their job.

“The comments made by Sen. Ortiz are deeply troubling and do not represent the position of the Arizona Senate. I spoke with the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona and referred this matter to his office to investigate, as it appears she may be in violation of federal law,” Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said in a statement.

State Sen. Analise Ortiz, D-Glendale, is a self-described Latina activist. She has long been vocal against racial profiling and social justice in the past. But recent posts in various social media accounts seem to have struck a nerve.

“Urgent! Please share!” she posted in early June regarding expected ICE raids in Phoenix. The post included advice to migrants such as avoiding “high-risk areas” and a telephone number to report ICE activity.

Conservative groups accused her of alleged obstruction of justice and doxing ICE agents. Ortiz responded with yet more defiant posts.

“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,” she posted on Tuesday.

“Yep. When ICE is around, I will alert my community to stay out of the area and I’m not (expletive deleted) of you nor Trump’s masked goons,” she wrote the same day.

The ranking member of the Arizona Senate Judicial and Elections Committee said she is being attacked for sharing information about ICE agents “lurking” outside an elementary school.

“Every individual has the right to know when and where law enforcement activity or any kind is taking place to protect themselves the same way people use apps to alert each other about speed traps,” wrote Ortiz, ranking member of the state Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee.

The Arizona House Democrats on Wednesday said Ortiz was within her First Amendment rights to post about ICE raids.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona also said Ortiz has the right to hold law enforcement accountable.

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