Congresswoman Says She Was Pepper-Sprayed During Tucson Immigration Raid; DHS Disputes Account

Tucson Raid Escalates: Law Enforcement Uses Chemical Spray, Lawmaker Says She Was Hit

A federal law enforcement operation at a Tucson taco shop on Friday escalated into a confrontation after agents deployed chemical spray while a group of protesters attempted to block authorities, officials and witnesses said. Two federal agents were injured during the incident.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva, who was sworn in less than a month ago after winning a September special election to fill the House seat once held by her late father, posted on social media that she and members of her staff were sprayed in the face and harassed during the operation. "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?" she said in a statement.

In a video shared online, Grijalva said she, two members of her staff and members of the media were sprayed and pushed back by agents during what she described as a federal immigration raid that local residents had interrupted "because they were afraid that they were taking people without due process, without any kind of notice." The footage shows a man placing himself in front of Grijalva and turning her away as an agent sprays nearby protesters; later, a projectile appears to land near her foot. Grijalva said she did not know the exact substance but that it continued to cause coughing.

"If her claims were true, this would be a medical marvel. But they're not true. She wasn't pepper sprayed. She was in the vicinity of someone who was pepper sprayed as they were obstructing and assaulting law enforcement," Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote, calling the crowd a mob and saying two agents were seriously injured.

Federal officials said agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) were carrying out a years-long probe into alleged immigration and tax violations and were executing search warrants at multiple Tucson restaurants. Authorities said federal tactical agents moved in to extract investigative personnel from the area after protesters gathered and obstructed operations. Officials reported that chemical munitions were deployed and that federal agents requested emergency support from local law enforcement to help federal vehicles exit the scene.

Local police used yellow tape to cordon off the restaurant and its parking lot while agents removed boxes from the building early Friday. By mid-morning, protesters gathered outside with signs and whistles; some in the group were sprayed while attempting to prevent federal vehicles from leaving. Tucson police thanked by Grijalva provided assistance but did not make arrests. "They were not the aggressors here," she said.

This episode is the latest this year involving members of Congress who say they were rebuffed or put in physical confrontations with federal law enforcement while attempting congressional oversight at immigration sites or during raids. Officials and lawmakers have pointed to similar recent incidents, including an ongoing dispute involving New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver and an altercation earlier this year involving Sen. Alex Padilla of California.

Associated Press writer Matt Brown contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.