WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representatives Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) and Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), and Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) demanded answers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) following reports that ICE abruptly detained multiple individuals who were attending their scheduled immigration court hearings in Phoenix last week.
“As lawmakers representing a border state, we know firsthand the impact that decades of federal inaction have had on Arizona and our border communities, and we have been relieved to see illegal border crossings continue to decrease since mid-2024. However, targeting immigrants without a criminal record who are following the law by showing up for their scheduled immigration hearing has only created chaos and does not make our communities safer,” the lawmakers said in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons.
They continued, “These tactics make our immigration system less efficient and fair and discourage individuals from appearing for future hearings. In Phoenix, we have seen individuals denied the right to make their case and placed in a fast-track deportation process. This has the effect of denying protection and due process to those who need it most while preventing the court from discovering frivolous asylum claims.”
The Arizona lawmakers emphasized that focusing enforcement resources on these efforts rather than violent criminals and drug traffickers doesn’t make Arizona communities safer.
“The administration’s use of limited resources and reassignment of law enforcement away from drug trafficking and human trafficking cases to target noncriminal immigrants means that serious criminals may be allowed to continue roaming the streets at large—making Arizonans less safe. Instead, finite ICE resources should be focused on removing individuals who pose genuine threats to public safety, such as gang members and violent offenders, not people complying with the law,” they highlighted.
The full letter is HERE.