The Arizona Police Association blasted Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) over her comments about “legal justification” in the shooting of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Mayes made her comments in a January 20, 2026, interview posted by 12 News NBC, where she focused on Arizona’s “Stand Your Ground” law, noting that it is one of the most expansive such laws in the country.
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 if you reasonably believe your life is in danger and you’re in your house or in your car or on your property, that you can defend yourself with lethal force.”
Mayes added, “It’s a fact that we have a ‘Stand Your Ground’ law and, in other states, un-uniformed, masked people who can’t be identified as police officers.”
She went on to talk about the importance of having uniforms and adding, “Now, you’re not allowed to shoot peace officers, but… how do you know they are a peace officer?”
In a January 22, 2026, letter, Arizona Police Association responded to Mayes, condemning her “reckless comments” about ICE officers and the public interaction with said officers.
Arizona Police Association executive director Joe Clure said:
During a televised interview with 12News journalist Brahm Resnik regarding a potential ICE deployment in Arizona, the Attorney General was asked whether she had a message for protesters. She responded by urging them to remain peaceful, respectful, and restrained, stating she would “protect” them…
However, the interview quickly shifted to a discussion of Arizona’s self-defense and “Stand Your Ground” laws. In that context, Attorney General Mayes went on to describe scenarios under which a person could claim legal justification for shooting a law enforcement officer, specifically citing the possibility that ICE agents might not be easily identifiable due to masks or nontraditional uniforms.
Later in the letter, Clure said, “As Arizona’s chief law enforcement officer, the Attorney General has a responsibility to de-escalate, not inflame. We find these remarks reckless, irresponsible, and dangerous to the safety of all law enforcement professionals in this state.”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He holds a PhD in Military History with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on X: @awrhawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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