Governor Katie Hobbs said Wednesday that her government is investigating cases in which federal immigration agents allegedly pretended to be utility technicians while conducting enforcement actions.
The review comes after reports that when searching Tucson's south side for people without lawful immigration status, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers pretended to be Tucson Electric Power personnel.
Witnesses reported that agents contacted households with the premise that they were from TEP and offered "free estimates." One neighbor the agents met, Christine Carino, said she didn't realize who they were until she saw a credential under one of the agents' shirts. She then informed her neighbor, whom she thought the agents were looking for.
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"Very concerning" is how Hobbs described the practice, but her staff is currently figuring out whether Arizona's current impersonation statutes extend to federal agents and what enforcement options the state may have.
"We're looking into that," Hobbs said, while Attorney General Kris Mayes' office provided similar statements about reviewing the situation.
Various types of impersonation are covered by Arizona law, including felony charges for using a false identity to perpetrate fraud or obtain access to property. These statutes do, however, have exceptions for "peace officers in the performance of their duties," which could lead to legal ambiguity surrounding the conduct of federal agents.
ICE has not responded to requests for comment about the Tucson incidents.
The ICE arrests at immigration court proceedings, which resumed after the Department of Homeland Security revoked earlier instructions restricting enforcement operations at courthouses and other sensitive places, coincide with the claimed impersonation methods.
Citing the advantages of officer safety and resource efficiency, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended courthouse arrests as "common sense," pointing out that visitors must go through security screening.
ICE documents from 2005–2006 on the employment of "ruses" in enforcement operations are among the documents the ACLU of California was able to obtain through Freedom of Information Act requests. According to these records, federal law enforcement organizations frequently use dishonest methods to stop suspects from escaping.
In order to address security and public image concerns, the letters specify that officers must alert affected organizations in advance of such activities, which may involve impersonating personnel of federal, state, local, or private entities.
Tucson Electric Power acknowledged on Wednesday that it had sent a request to the Department of Homeland Security asking agents to stop posing as TEP employees. The business stressed that such acts are prohibited but said it was unsure if the purported impersonation actually happened.
Since employees frequently enter private property for meter readings, facility maintenance, and underground utility marking, TEP voiced concerns that deception could jeopardize legal utility operations. Customers were instructed by the corporation to use TEP emblems on apparel, tools, and cars to confirm personnel identification.
The courthouse arrest approach was denounced by Governor Hobbs, who claimed that ICE should target people with criminal histories rather to those who are trying to comply with immigration procedures.
"I want ICE to go after the criminals," Hobbs said. "Now they're targeting people who are just trying to comply with the law."
Hobbs acknowledged that states had little control over federal operations, but he said Arizona would keep speaking out against actions it considers inappropriate.
