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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied the allegations on Friday. from Arizona Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva, who said she was pepper-sprayed during an immigration raid in Tucson.
In a post on X, Grijalva said she was “pushed aside and pepper sprayed” after identifying herself as a member of the group. Congress while requesting information from officers during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation near the Taco Giro restaurant.
“ICE just raided Taco Giro in Tucson, a small family-owned restaurant that has been serving our community for many years,” Grijalva wrote. “When I identified myself as a member of Congress and asked for more information, I was pushed aside and pepper-sprayed.”
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In a post on X, Grijalva said she was “pushed back and pepper-sprayed” after identifying herself as a member of Congress while gathering information from officers during an ICE operation outside a Taco Giro restaurant. (@Rep_Grijalva via X)
In a separate post, Grijalva called ICE a “lawless agency” that “operates without transparency, without accountability, and with open disregard for basic due process.”
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Trisha McLaughlin quickly responded to Grijalva's claims, saying she was never sprayed directly, but simply “in the vicinity of whoever was.”
“If her claims were true, it would be a medical miracle,” McLaughlin said. “But that's not true. She was not pepper sprayed. She was near someone who was being pepper sprayed while they were obstructing and assaulting law enforcement.”
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McLaughlin also said that two law enforcement officers were “seriously injured” during the incident.
“In fact, two law enforcement officers were seriously injured by this crowd, which [Grijalva] joined,” she added. “Representing yourself as a 'Member of Congress' does not give you the right to interfere with law enforcement. More information will come later.”
The clash also prompted the nearly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus to Democratic lawmakers — call on Congress to investigate.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said two law enforcement officers were “seriously injured” during the incident in Tuscon. (DHS.gov)
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., the caucus' vice chairman, condemned the incident as a “disgusting display of violence” against Grijalva and warned that it reflected a “dangerous moment for American democracy.”
The controversy comes a day after DHS announced it had detained at least a dozen criminal illegal immigrants – including “child sex offenders, domestic abusers and violent gang members” – during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.
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“No matter when or where, ICE will find, arrest and deport ALL criminal illegal aliens,” McLaughlin said.
DHS and Grijalva did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this report.
