Arizona Democratic Congressional Delegation Calls for Formal Congressional Investigation into DHS Use of Force and Obstruction of Oversight
Washington, D.C. — Today, Representative Adelita S. Grijalva joined by U.S. Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, and Representatives Greg Stanton and Yassamin Ansari sent a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Homeland Security Committees calling for a formal congressional investigation into a troubling pattern of abusive conduct and obstruction of independent journalism and congressional oversight by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The request follows a recent DHS operation in Tucson, Arizona, during which agents deployed chemical agents against a crowd that included a sitting Member of Congress and clearly identified journalists.
The letter states in part:
“In a recent incident, DHS agents demonstrated an aggressive response that included the deployment of chemical agents during an operation in Tucson, Arizona, where Representative Adelita S. Grijalva presented herself as Member of Congress to use her legal authority and constitutional duty to obtain pertinent facts, observe policies, and conduct oversight of the executive's implementation of federal law.
“On the same day, DHS issued a public statement denying the incident, which is inconsistent with independent press accounts, information from eyewitnesses, and video footage. Such contradictions further erode public trust in the Department and underscore the need for clear, transparent congressional review of its operations.
“This episode is part of a growing and deeply concerning national pattern that raises serious questions about DHS’ operations. Under the current administration, DHS personnel have repeatedly used force or obstructed elected officials and members of the press attempting to observe or inquire about enforcement actions and detention. The growing number of incidents collectively suggest a systemic disregard for oversight, transparency, and constitutional protections by DHS and its component agencies.”
The letter requests a formal congressional investigation into DHS, including to:
“Investigate the extent of DHS’ obstruction of Congressional oversight, interference with the right of the press to document and report on DHS operations, excessive use of force tactics against American civilians, including the use of chemical agents and other extraordinary measures, and the impact these tactics have on businesses and local communities.”
Several independent news outlets, including reporters who were at the scene, have published reporting that directly contradicts statements made by the Department of Homeland Security. This includes the Tucson Sentinel, who reported “among those hit by pepper spray were this Tucson Sentinel reporter and U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva,” and “Univision reporter Óscar Gómez was pepper-sprayed by the same agent without any warning....Gómez wrote, ‘Press ID was not enough to avoid being assaulted by an ICE agent.’” Green Valley News editor Dan Shearer, who interviewed Grijalva shortly after the event, stated “the left side of her face showed signs of the pepper spray... Her left eye was beginning to close and she had marks on her forehead and under her chin.” In addition, Arizona Luminaria, who had a reporter on the scene, wrote that “Federal law enforcement officers pepper sprayed Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva, her staff and other community members protesting an immigration raid at a taco restaurant on Tucson’s west side in a historic Latino neighborhood.”
In a September ruling, a federal judge wrote that federal officers “unleashed crowd control weapons indiscriminately and with surprising savagery” during protests that occurred in Los Angeles. “Specifically, the Court concludes that federal agents’ indiscriminate use of force ... will undoubtedly chill the media’s efforts to cover these public events and protestors seeking to express peacefully their views on national policies,” the judge wrote.
You can view the full letter here.
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