Arizona lawmakers clash over whether posting about ICE activity violates 1st Amendment

PHOENIX — A state senator has been the target of death threats after posting about the location of a possible immigration raid this week.

Arizona Sen. Annalise Ortiz, a Democrat, denounced claims that she violated the First Amendment and should be removed from office.

“Arizonans deserve to know what their government is doing in our communities in plain sight,” Ortiz told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday. “Sharing public factual information of law enforcement activity is 100% protected by the First Amendment.”

The post, which was shared on X by the right-wing account Libs of TikTok, has garnered more than 16 million views and sparked controversy by claiming Ortiz was “actively impeding and doxxing ICE.” Ortiz disputes that characterization.

“The important thing to remember is that no one is condoning violence here,” Ortiz said.

Soon after the post went viral, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen released a statement saying he had spoken to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, as he believes the post may “be in violation of federal law.”

State Senate President Warren Petersen wants an investigation into fellow Senator Analise Ortiz after she posted online warnings about Valley immigration raids.

Full video: https://t.co/zefABsbfmd pic.twitter.com/M3ugyv1tjZ

— Arizona’s Morning News on 92.3 (@AZMorningNews) August 8, 2025

Ortiz said Petersen’s comments would not make her back down.

“I’m not going to be intimidated by the senate president and his political games,” Ortiz said. “This is just an attempt to intimidate me and anyone who speaks out against the (Trump) administration’s unconstitutional and authoritarian actions. … I’m not going to be bullied into fear and silence. That’s what they want.”

Arizona Senate president explains why he wants investigation

Petersen said his call for an investigation was rooted in concerns about free speech, drawing a parallel to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ probe into President Donald Trump’s remarks about Liz Cheney last November.

“There was nobody screaming and saying that that was Donald Trump’s First Amendment right, but that was clearly Donald Trump’s First Amendment right,” Petersen said. “So yeah, we support and protect people’s First Amendment rights.”

Will Arizona Sen. Analise Ortiz continue to post the location of immigration raids on social media?

She joined @AZMorningNews to discuss.

Watch the full segment on the KTAR News YouTube channel. pic.twitter.com/BXNyxW1dyc

— KTAR News 92.3 (@KTAR923) August 8, 2025

Could Arizona senator be removed from office over ICE activity social media post?

Not everyone sees her post as protected speech, however. Arizona Sen. Jake Hoffman, a Republican, promised to file an ethics complaint against her.

Peterson said that Ortiz’s expulsion from the state Senate could be possible, but only “if she’s convicted of a crime.”

“There’s a difference between saying, ‘Hey, I broke into the store … I committed a crime,’ and actually doing it,” Petersen said. “So right now, she’s saying she’s doing it. So that’s why I reported it to the district attorney. They need to investigate and see if she’s committed a crime.”

How did Arizona senator get information about ICE activity?

Ortiz said the information on the immigration raids is publicly available and was shared with her through a community account.

She believes that posting this information is in the public’s best interest.

“People are afraid when they see a masked agent jump out of an unmarked vehicle with a gun,” Ortiz said. “Is it ICE? Is it another law enforcement? Is it a criminal impersonating law enforcement? We’re trying to keep people safe and informed.”

Ortiz compared her sharing ICE’s location to apps, like Waze, alerting drivers to the presence of police on freeways.

“This is speech that is completely protected by the First Amendment,” she said. “This is public information that anyone driving by could see with their own two eyes.”

Petersen disagreed with that notion.

“That’s why the investigation needs to occur,” he said. “She’s saying that she’s helping people evade ICE and she’s willing to help people evade ICE. That’s against the law.”

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