WASHINGTON, D.C. — Arizona’s Democratic congressional delegation on Friday asked congressional homeland security leaders to open a formal investigation into the Department of Homeland Security, saying a recent Tucson immigration operation revealed “a troubling pattern of abusive conduct and obstruction of independent journalism and congressional oversight by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”
The letter, led by Rep. Adelita Grijalva and joined by U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego and Reps. Greg Stanton and Yassamin Ansari, was sent to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Homeland Security Committees. It follows a Dec. 5 operation in Tucson, when federal agents executed search warrants at Taco Giro and other locations across southern Arizona as part of a probe that led to dozens of arrests.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Grijalva described approaching the scene “moments ago” with staff when she said she and others were blocked and sprayed. “When I presented myself as a Member of Congress and asked for more information, my staff and I were pushed aside and pepper‑sprayed by masked agents,” she said. “While I am fine, if that is the way they treat me, how are they treating other community members who do not have the same privileges and protections that I do?”
KGUN9 previously reported that Homeland Security Investigations and other federal partners served 16 search warrants across southern Arizona and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement said 46 people were arrested in connection with alleged immigration and tax violations. Video from the scene showed federal agents deploying chemical agents to clear a crowd that had gathered outside the restaurant.
Related Video: ICE arrests 46 individuals in Southern Arizona; Rep. Grijlava says she was pepper-sprayed
Federal officials pushed back on Grijalva’s account. In a statement posted after the incident, DHS disputed the congresswoman’s description, saying she was “in the vicinity of someone who was pepper sprayed as they were obstructing and assaulting law enforcement.” An ICE statement circulated by local outlets praised the operation and said it was part of a broader task‑force effort, beginning, in the agency’s words, “Thanks to President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Force, HSI Arizona facilitated the arrest of 46 illegal aliens who were arrested at several residences and restaurants in southern Arizona this morning.”
Local and national officials also weighed in. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero condemned the use of force, saying the deployment “rapidly escalated into violence against the public” and adding, “Their disproportionate use of force, smoke grenades and pepper balls against the public, including our own Representative Adelita Grijalva, is not justified and cannot be tolerated.”
House Democratic leaders called the episode “a disgraceful and cowardly act” and demanded accountability. “This is unwarranted, un‑American and unacceptable, and these agents and their superiors should be held accountable for their actions,” the leadership statement said.
The delegation’s letter asks congressional homeland security committees to investigate both the tactics used during the operation and what lawmakers described as efforts by DHS to impede oversight — including treatment of members of Congress and members of the press who were on site reporting.
DHS and ICE have defended the operation as lawful and necessary; Grijalva and other Democrats have characterized it as part of a pattern of aggressive enforcement that lacks transparency. The congressional request for an investigation signals lawmakers’ intent to press for answers and for a review of agency practices during domestic enforcement actions.
