AZ AG Suggests Residents Can Shoot ICE Agents Under State’s Stand Your Ground Law [WATCH]

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes suggested during a televised interview that residents could legally use deadly force against masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents if they believe their lives are in danger, drawing sharp criticism from Republican officials and federal authorities.

Mayes, a Democrat elected in 2022, made the comments during a sit-down interview Monday with 12 News anchor Brahm Resnik, as federal immigration officers expand operations into parts of the Grand Canyon State.

During the exchange, Mayes warned that Arizona’s self-defense laws could lead to dangerous confrontations if protesters encounter immigration agents.

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“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 during the interview, calling ICE “very poorly trained.”

She referenced Arizona’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows the use of deadly force if a person reasonably believes they are facing an imminent threat while in their home, vehicle, or on their property.

“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, that you can defend yourself with lethal force,” Mayes said.

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Resnik repeatedly challenged the attorney general, warning that her remarks could be interpreted as giving residents a “license” to shoot federal officers. Mayes responded that she was not encouraging violence but describing what the law allows.

She pressed the issue by questioning how civilians are expected to identify law enforcement officers if agents are masked.

“If you’re being attacked by someone who is not identified as a peace officer — how do you know?” Mayes said, adding that “real cops don’t wear masks.”

She continued by describing a hypothetical personal scenario.

“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?” Mayes said.

The remarks came as immigration enforcement activity increases in Arizona, following heightened tensions in other states. Mayes said she intends to prosecute any ICE agent who violates Arizona law.

She referenced unrest in Minnesota following a Jan. 7 incident in which a federal officer fatally shot protester Renee Nicole Good after she clipped him with her car during a heated confrontation.

That incident sparked days of protests and drew national attention.

Republican leaders in Arizona condemned Mayes’ comments, arguing they risk escalating violence. Rep. David Schweikert, an Arizona Republican and gubernatorial candidate, criticized the attorney general in a post on X.

“Let’s not pretend this was some careful legal seminar,” Schweikert wrote.

“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.”

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

Federal officials also weighed in, saying rhetoric from elected leaders has contributed to a rise in threats and attacks against immigration officers.

The Department of Homeland Security has accused liberal officials of inflaming tensions and has repeatedly urged them to reduce hostile language toward federal agents.

Vice President JD Vance echoed that message during a recent visit to Minneapolis, where protests have continued since Good’s death.

Vance called on local leaders to “tone down the temperature” as federal officers carry out enforcement operations.

“This is direct threat calling for violence against our law enforcement officers — this kind of rhetoric is going to get someone killed,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to The Post on Thursday night.

“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 seeking reelection in November, ensuring that her comments and the response from state and federal officials are likely to remain part of the political debate as immigration enforcement continues to expand in Arizona.