Arizona Senate Republicans are pushing back against a Pima County measure that prevents Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from using county property, filing a formal complaint with the state attorney general.
Last month, officials in the border county, which encompasses the city of Tucson, passed the resolution denying access to federal immigration enforcement agents without judicial warrants, a prohibition that undermines the ability to carry out the Trump administration’s policies.
In a Monday press release, the state GOP senators announced that they have formally filed an SB 1487 complaint, which gives Democrat Attorney General Kris Mayes 30 days to conduct a legal review to determine whether a local government has violated state law or the Constitution.
🚨FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Top Senate Republicans Challenge Illegal Anti-ICE Measure, Demand Fair Review from Attorney General
Full press release: https://t.co/tb2kFWy244@votewarren @TJShope @JohnKavanagh_AZ pic.twitter.com/So5fmN7y5d
— AZSenateRepublicans (@AZSenateGOP) April 6, 2026
“We’re seeing Democrat-run local governments put radical political agendas ahead of public safety,” said Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen. “Instead of supporting law enforcement and protecting their citizens from crime, they’re creating barriers that make it harder to enforce the law and easier for criminals to stay in our communities.”
According to the Senate GOP statement, the SB 1487 “triggers a legal review by the Attorney General to determine whether a local government has violated state law or the Arizona Constitution, including A.R.S. § 11-1051(A), which prohibits local governments from restricting federal immigration enforcement below the full extent permitted by federal law.”
“The filing starts a 30-day clock for the Attorney General to respond. Depending on that finding, the city or county may be required to change the policy, face a loss of state-shared revenue, or the case could be referred to the Arizona Supreme Court,” the statement reads. “The action comes as similar concerns are emerging in Phoenix, where city leaders recently adopted a policy that blocks federal immigration enforcement from using city property unless the City Manager signs off, effectively putting a local political gatekeeper in control of federal operations.”
“This is about making sure our laws are applied consistently across Arizona,” President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope said. “When one county decides to go rogue, it creates gaps that undermine enforcement statewide. Arizonans expect coordination between all levels of government, not policies that tie the hands of law enforcement.”
Mayes has faced criticism for her past comments disparaging federal immigration enforcement, including suggesting that state residents could open fire on masked ICE agents under state law.
MUST WATCH: Democrat Arizona AG Kris Mayes crossed the line— THREATENING ICE agents for doing their jobs and signaling to her most radical anti-ICE constituents that using deadly force against law enforcement is justified.
“It’s kind of a recipe for disaster because you have… pic.twitter.com/zsK2tEuUJe
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) January 22, 2026
“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,” she told Phoenix NBC affiliate KPNX.
“And we have a Stand Your Ground law that says if you reasonably believe that your life is in danger, and you’re in your house, or your car, or on your property, that you can defend yourself with lethal force,” Mayes added.
The Democrat attorney general’s remarks drew a historic rebuke from GOP senators who passed a resolution calling for Mayes to resign.
“The Attorney General publicly suggested Arizonans could invoke self-defense laws against law enforcement officers,” said Majority Leader John Kavanagh at the time. “Her statements were wrong, dangerous, and fundamentally inconsistent with Arizona law. When the state’s top law enforcement officer implies that police officers may be lawful targets, the Senate has a duty to act.
“I will not be deterred from speaking out or criticizing the Trump administration for its ongoing abuses of power and its trashing of our sacred Constitution,” a defiant Mayes said in January.
“Given her record and her public opposition to immigration enforcement, there is a serious question about whether she can review this case objectively. This is not a policy debate. The law is clear, and it must be applied,” Kavanagh said of the SB 1487 complaint.
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