Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a rabid Democrat, suggested this week that her state’s Stand Your Ground law could potentially entitle Arizonians to open fire on immigration agents.
“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 said during an interview with local station 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,” she added.
Asked whether she was giving Arizonians a license to open fire on immigration agents, she claimed no while still coyly playing with the idea.
“You’re not allowed to shoot peace officers, but if you’re being attacked by somebody who is not identified as a peace officer, how do you know?” she said. “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?”
“This is a don’t-tread-on-me state. This is a Second Amendment state. This is a state with a lot of guns in it,” she added.
Mayes’s remarks prompted major pushback, including from Republican Rep. David Schweikert.
“Let’s not pretend this was some careful legal seminar,” he wrote in a scathing post published to the social media platform X. “This was the attorney general of Arizona freelancing a scenario where bullets start flying and then shrugging it off as ‘just the law.'”
“That is reckless on its face. 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. Words matter. Especially when they come from the state’s top lawyer,” he added.
Kris Mayes wrapped her comments in “don’t tread on me,” then went on television and explained how Arizona’s stand your ground law could justify shooting at masked federal agents if someone can’t identify them as law enforcement.
Let’s not pretend this was some careful legal…
— David Schweikert (@DavidSchweikert) January 23, 2026
The Arizona Police Association also fired back.
“Law enforcement officers at every level including state, local, and federal agencies do not always wear traditional uniforms,” they said in a statement to KPNX. “Officers across Arizona, including members of the Attorney General’s own investigative teams, routinely operate in plain clothes or wear protective face coverings when circumstances require it. This does not diminish their legal authority or status as law enforcement.”
“ICE agents are sworn federal law enforcement officers carrying out the lawful duties of the federal government. Publicly speculating about how someone might legally justify shooting an ICE agent sends a dangerous and irresponsible message, particularly in an already tense and polarized environment,” they added.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, meanwhile, told the New York Post that Mayes’ remark constituted a “direct threat calling for violence against our law enforcement officers.”
“This kind of rhetoric is going to get someone killed,” she added. “Kris Mayes should be thanking our federal law enforcement for removing these pedophiles, murderers, terrorists, and drug traffickers from their communities — not inciting violence against them.”
Mayes is reportedly up for reelection in November. Her election opponents were salivating over her remarks:
People across Arizona want an Attorney General who doesn’t play politics and will fight for us. Rodney Glassman is the only qualified candidate who can defeat liberal Kris Mayes. pic.twitter.com/gNkxfdgfdz
— Chris Kelly (@Chris_Kelly24) January 21, 2026
Yet again, Kris Mayes is putting Arizonans and law enforcement at risk by justifying shooting plain-clothes ICE agents. Her comments are dangerous and disqualifying, and make our communities less safe.
My full statement below: pic.twitter.com/qPeggFg6l3
— Warren Petersen (@votewarren) January 23, 2026
In a statement to Axios, Mayes’ spokesperson, Richie Taylor, dismissed concerns about her remarks.
“Mayes is deeply concerned about how a potential ICE escalation in Arizona could create combustible situations,” he said. “With ICE recruiting thousands of new agents and giving them minimal training they are risking public safety.”
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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