Arizona Republicans Force Investigation Into Pima County Over Anti-ICE Policies

Arizona State Senate leaders have launched an official investigation into Pima County's policies that restrict immigration enforcement agents from accessing county property without judicial warrants.

Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, announced the probe on April 6, giving state Attorney General Kris Mayes 30 days to determine whether Pima County has violated state law or the U.S. Constitution.

The investigation stems from a resolution the Pima County Board of Supervisors passed on February 17, which banned immigration enforcement operations from taking place on county property or using county resources. The measure passed 4-1, without the support of the sole Republican supervisor, Steve Christy.

"A small number of police officers engage in some egregious conduct, some of which the Democrats complain about in Phoenix, yet I don't see anybody blocking Phoenix police from going to locations," said Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills. "You can't cherry pick, and you can't judge an agency based on isolated actions."

Kavanagh joined Senate President Pro-Tempore TJ Shope and Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh in filing the complaint against the county. The lawmakers argued that Pima County is putting "radical political agendas ahead of public safety" and discriminating against federal immigration enforcement officers.

Pima County's policy states that no county property can be used as "a staging area, processing location, or operations base for civil immigration enforcement." The resolution also requires county buildings to display signs referencing the policy and encourages the use of physical barriers like locked gates to limit access to county-controlled lots and garages. It restricts county employees from assisting immigration enforcement activities, including denying agents access to specific individuals.

"Pima County has egregiously violated state law by restricting the activities of immigration enforcement officers and adding extra requirements on their enforcement efforts," Kavanagh said.

Arizona state law prohibits limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement to less than the full extent permitted by law. The resolution's restrictions appear to conflict with this mandate.

This is not the first SB 1487 complaint filed this year. Rep. Quang Nguyen, R-Prescott Valley, filed a similar complaint against the city of Phoenix earlier this year for a policy that requires immigration agents to obtain permission from the city manager before using city property for enforcement activities.

When Republicans controlled the attorney general's office and state legislature, SB 1487 complaints were much more common. But Nguyen was the first legislator to file one this year under Democratic control.

"This discretionary approval structure creates a substantial risk that enforcement will be delayed, impeded, or denied altogether. Even when enforcement is not formally prohibited, the denial of access to strategically necessary municipal property can functionally limit enforcement operations," Nguyen wrote in his complaint against Phoenix.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors passed their resolution after immigration enforcement activities, which officials described as having "trampled on civil and constitutional rights, recklessly endangered citizens and non-citizens alike, and culminated in the deaths of detainees and peaceful protesters."

The county's resolution went into effect on February 17, 2026. The Arizona Senate's investigation will now determine whether these policies constitute a violation of state law.

If the Attorney General finds Pima County in violation, state law requires withholding a portion of the county's funding.

The outcome of this investigation will have significant implications for how Arizona counties interact with federal immigration enforcement, particularly in border counties where local policies on immigration enforcement have become increasingly contentious.