Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes suggested in a recent interview with local Arizona 12 News that people would be justified in shooting masked ICE agents in Arizona, even presenting a legal argument for doing so.
Mayes discussed a potential surge of ICE operations in the Grand Canyon State with Brahm Resnik, following the introduction of a new page on the Attorney General’s website to film and report alleged misconduct by federal agents.
“Members of the public in Arizona should use this form to report (including submitting video footage or photographic evidence) potentially unlawful activity in Arizona by federal agents or personnel, such as officers or agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Independent evidence, submitted directly to our office, could be critical for future independent investigations into alleged misconduct,” the webpage reads.
During the interview with 12 News, Mayes warned ICE agents, “We are watching you.” She continued, “If you violate an Arizona law, I will prosecute you, we will investigate you, and we will make sure that Arizona laws are enforced. That includes assault, murder, unlawful imprisonment, and other state crimes.”
WATCH:
At one point in the interview, Mayes highlighted Arizona’s Stand Your Ground law, which allows individuals to use reasonable or deadly force to protect themselves, others, or property without a duty to retreat, suggesting that you have the right to kill masked ICE agents. “We’re a gun culture in this state,” she said. “You have these masked Federal officers with very little identification, sometimes no identification, wearing plain clothes and masks. 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.”
Resnik attempted to push back on what she had just said, noting the possible interpretation of a call for violence. Still, Mayes doubled down, suggesting that Arizonans would be reasonable to use “lethal force” against ICE– and it would be ICE agents’ fault!
“Well, but it’s the facts,” Mayes said.
“You’re not allowed to shoot peace officers,” she continued. “But how do you know they’re a peace officer?”
Mayes tried to claim that she isn’t giving a “license” to Arizonans to kill ICE agents, but went on to suggest a possible legal defense for somebody who does. “It becomes, did they reasonably know that they were a peace officer? You know?”
She later said, “By the way, I’m a gun owner,” and suggested she would shoot somebody if they approached and she couldn’t tell “whether they’re a police officer.”
WATCH:
Resnik: Do you have a message if this time ever comes? Do you have a message to protesters right now about how they should conduct themselves?
Mayes: Stay peaceful. Stay restrained. You know, be respectful of each other and law enforcement. Don’t take the bait, because I think that’s definitely going on. You know, they’re trying to bait people all across this country. And, you know, if you do that, everything should be okay, and I will protect you. The other thing I want to bring up with you that I’m worried about, that makes Arizona very, very different from almost every other state where this build up is happening, Brahm, is that we’re a stand your ground state. We have one of the most expansive Stand Your Ground laws in the entire country that rivals even Florida. We also have a lot of guns in Arizona. We’re a gun culture in this state, and you know, 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. 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.
Resnik: I want to be careful with that and understand what you’re saying, because you know how that could be interpreted.
Mayes: Well, but it’s the facts. It’s the fact that we have a Stand Your Ground law, and we have, in other states, uniformed, masked people, who can’t be identified as police officers. That is a problem. That’s why— that’s why it’s so important to have uniforms and to be identified, especially in a state like Arizona that has a Stand Your Ground law. Now, if someone were to— now, you’re not allowed to shoot peace officers.
Resnik: I want to— oh, yeah. So let’s, yeah, let’s put a big pause there and go into that question—
Mayes: How do you know they’re a peace officer?
Resnik: because some might say you are giving a license to an individual to shoot a peace officer.
Mayes: No, I’m not, absolutely not. But how do you know they’re a peace officer? That’s the key. And so if there’s a situation where somebody pulls out their gun because they know Arizona is a stand your ground state you’re going to— then it becomes, did they reasonably know that they were a peace officer? You know? I mean, this is a different set of circumstances in the state of Arizona and so—
Resnik: But to be clear— it’s ironic, because this is a second amendment issue, but to be clear, you’re not telling folks you have license if you are threatened to shoot a peace officer.
Mayes: No, but again, if you’re being attacked by someone who is not identified as a peace officer, how do you know? I mean, if somebody comes at me wearing a mask— by the way, I’m a gun owner— if somebody comes at me wearing a mask, and I can’t tell whether they’re a police officer, what am I supposed to do? Honestly Bram? Look what happened in Minnesota to the two legislators, one of whom was killed by a guy impersonating a police officer. That is why this is so incredibly incendiary. And again, it’s a situation being caused by ICE and the federal government. And we are a stand your ground state, so it creates this combustible situation. No, I am not suggesting that people pull out their guns, but 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, and we have a law on the books that the Republican legislature passed that says you have the right to defend yourself if you reasonably believe that your life is in danger, except when it involves a police officer. But we also have a federal government that is putting officers on the street without any identification. That is combustible. I mean, it’s got all the makings for you know, shoot out at the O.K. Corral all over again.
Throughout the interview, Mayes repeated the typical leftist talking points about ICE, claiming they’ve engaged in “thuggish, brutish behavior.” She also previewed a new talking point that we haven’t heard, claiming that ICE is targeting the tribal Indian population in Arizona. “The other thing that I wanna say to ICE is keep your hands off of our tribal members,” Mayes said, laughably claiming that a Navajo man was detained “because of the color of his skin.”
Mayes further discussed the 2026 elections, plans to push back against a buildup of federal agents and ICE around election time, potential seizure of illegal voting equipment, and pushed conspiracy theories about Trump planning to cancel the midterms.
Notably, she warned that “We will do everything that physically that we can do to prevent them from seizing anything.” When asked to clarify, Mayes says, “It means what it means. No one’s taking anything out of our election polling places.”
Watch the full interview below:
The post WATCH: DERANGED Arizona Attorney General Threatens ICE, Encourages Leftists to SHOOT AND KILL Agents “We Have a Stand Your Ground Law… You Can Defend Yourself with Lethal Force” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.