ICE disputes Arizona Rep. Grijalva’s pepper spray claims during Tucson operation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday accused Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., of joining a “riotous crowd” and trying to interfere with agents during a mass arrest operation last week.

The accusation came after Grijalva said she “pushed it aside and sprayed pepper sprayDuring a Dec. 5 immigration raid in Tucson, ICE flatly rejected the account.

“During the operation, U.S. Representative Adelita Grijalva joined the rioting crowd and attempted to interfere with law enforcement officers, and then took to social media to defame law enforcement by falsely claiming that she was pepper-sprayed,” ICE said in a statement.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Grijalva's office for comment.

THE JUDGE REJECTS THE REPRESENTATIVE. LAMONICA MCIVER SAYS HER ACTIONS DID NOT HAVE A “LEGISLATIVE OBJECTIVE” TO END THE ABUSE CASE

ICE and its federal partners arrested 46 undocumented immigrants in an operation that resulted from a “multi-year investigation into a transnational criminal organization engaged in labor exploitation, tax and immigration violations,” the agency said.

ICE said that “more than 100 agitators” arrived at one of the search sites and “attempted to interfere law enforcement operations“

“The agitators quickly turned violent, assaulting officers and slashing tires,” ICE added.

Democratic-backed 'dignity' bill could strip Ice of detention powers and eliminate immigration enforcement, critics warn

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday pushed back against allegations made by Arizona Democratic Party Rep. Adelita Grijalva, who alleged she was pepper-sprayed during an immigration raid. (@Rep_Grijalva via X)

In a post on X on Friday, Grijalva said she was “pushed aside and pepper-sprayed” after asking officers for information during an ICE operation outside a 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.”

Grijalva also called ICE a “lawless agency” that “operates without transparency, without accountability, and with open disregard for basic due process” in a separate post by X.

HUNT UNDER PLACE AFTER Federal Agents Opened Fire as Rioters rammed cars and threw debris in Chicago

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary of State Tricia McLaughlin immediately disputed Grijalva's account, 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 next to someone who was being pepper sprayed while they were obstructing and assaulting law enforcement.”

ICE said two people in the crowd were arrested, one for assaulting a federal law enforcement officer and the other for damaging a government vehicle. Two Homeland Security Special Response Team operators were also injured.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Protesters stand behind a gate locked with a bicycle lock that prevented federal agents from leaving a restaurant in Tuscon, Arizona, following an ICE raid on the restaurant on Friday, December 5, 2025. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

When contacted for comment, DHS referred Fox News Digital to ICE's statement regarding the operation. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.