A chaotic scene unfolded at a Tucson taco shop on Friday when federal agents deployed pepper spray, resulting in injuries to two agents and prompting protests from community members. U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva, who was nearby, claimed to have been sprayed and accused immigration enforcement of acting without transparency.
Grijalva, recently sworn into Congress, expressed her concern via social media, questioning how authorities treated individuals without her same privileges. A video showed her staff intervening as law enforcement attempted to control the protesters during what was perceived as an immigration raid.
Federal officials indicated that Grijalva was not pepper sprayed, but acknowledged an operation focused on potential immigration and tax violations across southern Arizona. This incident adds to a pattern where lawmakers have reportedly faced resistance or violence while voicing support for communities affected by federal immigration actions.
As tensions escalated, federal agents called for assistance from local police to extract their personnel from the protest. While Grijalva and others claimed that the use of force was unnecessary, federal authorities described the group as a mob, indicating the complexity of enforcing immigration laws while respecting community rights.
This confrontation follows several recent incidents in which members of Congress have been involved in contentious situations regarding federal immigration policies, highlighting a growing rift between legislative advocacy and immigration enforcement tactics.
