Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, along with Representatives Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04) and Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-03), are demanding accountability from federal immigration officials after ICE reportedly detained multiple individuals in Phoenix last week as they arrived for their scheduled immigration court hearings.
In a sharply worded letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons, the lawmakers condemned the detentions as unjust and counterproductive.
“As lawmakers representing a border state, we know firsthand the impact that decades of federal inaction have had on Arizona and our border communities,” they wrote. “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 letter warns that these tactics undermine public trust and discourage future compliance with court proceedings. The lawmakers highlighted reports from Phoenix of individuals being denied the opportunity to present their cases and instead being placed into expedited deportation processes—raising serious concerns about due process.
“These tactics make our immigration system less efficient and fair,” the lawmakers continued. “They deny protection and due process to those who need it most while failing to weed out meritless asylum claims through the proper legal channels.”
They criticized the Trump administration's enforcement priorities, arguing that limited ICE resources should be focused on removing violent offenders and criminal networks, not law-abiding immigrants.
“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,” the letter stated.
The incident has intensified the ongoing debate over immigration enforcement under the Trump administration and sparked renewed calls for a more humane and effective approach to immigration policy.
