Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sparked outrage after suggesting residents could legally use lethal force against masked ICE agents if they believe their life is in danger under the state’s self-defense laws — rhetoric critics are calling reckless and dangerous.
During a sit-down interview Monday with 12 News anchor Brahm Resnik, the Democrat warned that Arizona’s “Stand Your Ground” law could become a “recipe for disaster” as protests and immigration enforcement collide.
“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, dismissively adding that ICE agents are “very poorly trained.”
“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 repeatedly pushed back, noting that her comments could easily be interpreted as granting residents a license to shoot federal agents. Mayes brushed off the concern, insisting she was merely stating a “fact,” not encouraging violence.
“If you’re being attacked by someone who is not identified as a peace officer — how do you know?” Mayes asked. “Real cops don’t wear masks.”
“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?” she continued. “No, I’m not suggesting people pull out their guns, but this is a ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ state.”
The attorney general’s jaw-dropping remarks come as federal immigration officers expand operations in parts of the Grand Canyon State. Mayes also vowed to prosecute any ICE agent who violates state law, echoing left-wing attacks on federal enforcement following unrest in Minnesota, where a federal officer fatally shot protester Renee Nicole Good after she allegedly clipped him with her car during a confrontation on Jan. 7.
Republicans were quick to condemn Mayes’ comments.
Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), a potential gubernatorial candidate, slammed the attorney general’s rhetoric as outright irresponsible.
“Let’s not pretend this was some careful legal seminar,” Schweikert wrote on X. “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,” he added. “Words matter. Especially when they come from the state’s top lawyer.”
The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly warned that inflammatory rhetoric from progressive leaders is fueling an alarming increase in threats and violence against law enforcement officers. Vice President JD Vance echoed that concern this week, urging local officials to “tone down the temperature” during remarks in Minneapolis.
“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 told The Post Thursday night.
“Kris Mayes should be thanking our federal law enforcement for removing pedophiles, murderers, terrorists, and drug traffickers from their communities — not inciting violence against them.”
Mayes, who was elected in 2022, is up for reelection in November.
