Arizona Attorney General Defends Remarks Suggesting State’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ Laws Could Be Deadly for Masked Law Enforcement Officers

Attorney General Kris Mayes of Arizona is defending her suggestion that residents could potentially use lethal force against masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents if they perceive a threat to their lives.In a statement released Sunday, Ms. Mayes argued that “right-wing media” had mischaracterized her initial remarks regarding the state’s “Stand Your Ground” laws. She insisted that her warning was about the potential for dangerous confusion rather than an incitement to violence.“The idea that I would want the life of any member of law enforcement put in danger is wrong, offensive, and an outright lie,” Ms. Mayes said. “Danger to law enforcement is the very thing I want to avoid in Arizona.”Her pushback comes following a TV interview during which Ms. Mayes warned that the presence of unidentified federal agents could lead to violence in a state with robust self-defense statutes.“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,” Ms. Mayes told 12 News anchor Brahm Resnik. “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,” the attorney general said.When challenged by Mr. Resnik on whether her words could be interpreted as a license to shoot federal agents, Ms. Mayes cited her own perspective as a gun owner.“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? No, I’m not suggesting people pull out their guns, but this is a ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ state,” she said, adding that “real cops don’t wear masks.”Ms. Mayes linked her concerns to the recent death of Renee Good, who was killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, and criticized the tactics used by federal authorities. She said that “Arizonans do not want masked agents entering their homes without warrants,” calling the practice “un-American.”“ICE’s behavior is destroying the public’s trust in law enforcement and putting every American, including local law enforcement, in danger. It will take years if not decades to undo the damage that has been done over the past twelve months,” Ms. Mayes said.The Attorney General’s rhetoric has drawn sharp condemnation from political opponents and federal officials. Following her comments, Ms. Mayes’ law enforcement liaison, David Harvey, resigned in protest. Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security accused her of inciting violence against officers.“This is a 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. “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.”Congressman David Schweikert also blasted the comments. “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,” the Arizona Republican wrote on X.“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,” he wrote.Despite the backlash, Ms. Mayes vowed to continue opposing what she views as federal overreach. Her office is launching a new website to post images of possible unlawful activity by ICE agents, and she has promised to prosecute any agent who violates state laws.“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,” Ms. Mayes said.

Arizona Attorney General Defends Remarks Suggesting State’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ Laws Could Be Deadly for Masked Law Enforcement Officers

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