ICE Accuses Arizona Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Interfering During Immigration Raid

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently levied accusations against Arizona Democratic Representative Adelita Grijalva, claiming she became part of a “riotous crowd” and tried to obstruct law enforcement during a mass arrest operation last week.

This statement followed Grijalva’s remarks about being “pushed around and pepper sprayed” during an immigration raid in Tucson on December 5—a claim ICE explicitly dismissed.

ICE said in a statement, “During the operation, U.S. Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva joined a rioting crowd, attempted to obstruct law enforcement officers, and then defamed law enforcement by falsely claiming on social media that she had been pepper sprayed.”

Attempts to get a response from Grijalva’s office have been made, but no word has come back.

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According to ICE, a total of 46 undocumented immigrants were apprehended during the operation, which officials described as part of a “multi-year investigation into transnational criminal organizations” involved in labor and tax violations.

The agency mentioned that more than 100 “agitators” showed up at one location attempting to disrupt the police actions. They quickly escalated to violence, assaulting officers and damaging government property.

Grijalva’s Claims of Aggression

In a post on X, Grijalva recounted her experience during the ICE operation near a restaurant called Taco Giro. She claimed that upon identifying herself as a member of Congress and seeking information, she was pushed aside and pepper sprayed.

“ICE just recently conducted a raid on Taco Giro in Tucson, a small family-owned restaurant that has served our community for many years,” she stated, adding, “When I identified myself… I was pushed aside and pepper sprayed.”

Grijalva went further, describing ICE as a “lawless agency” lacking transparency, accountability, and due process.

DHS Responds to Grijalva’s Account

Tricia McLaughlin, an official with the Department of Homeland Security, swiftly disputed Grijalva’s description, asserting that she wasn’t directly sprayed but was simply near someone who had been. “If her claims are true, this would be a medical marvel. But those are not true. She was not pepper sprayed,” McLaughlin contended, explaining that Grijalva was in proximity to the altercation.

During the incident, two individuals from the crowd were arrested—one for allegedly assaulting a federal officer and the other for damaging a vehicle. Additionally, two members of the Homeland Security Investigations Special Response Team were reportedly injured.

When approached for further comments, the Department of Homeland Security referred inquiries to ICE’s earlier statement regarding the operation but did not provide direct answers to queries from Fox News Digital.