He debate over the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Arizona escalated to a new level. In a television interview, the state attorney general, Kris Mayesleft a phrase that opened questions about the limits of self-defensehe use of masks by federal agents and the risk of armed confrontations in communities stressed by deportations.
The fiscal general of arizona, Kris Mayesbecame the focus of the discussion after an exclusive interview granted to 12 Newsin which addressed the arrival and expansion of ICE agents in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
During that conversation with journalist Bram Resnick, Mayes expressed concern due to the combination between federal operatives, masked agents and the state law known as “stand your ground,” what allows a person to defend themselves if you reasonably believe that your life is in danger.
In that context, and given the journalist’s clarification that She did not allow the population to shoot at an officerthe prosecutor responded: “No, but again, if you are being attacked by someone who is not identified as a peace officer, how do you know?”.
As the official explained in the interview, His office has a “front row view” of the ICE expansion in the Valley. The attorney general’s office building, located in downtown Phoenix, is located next to the federal agency’s headquarters, allowing it to directly observe the movement of personnel and vehicles.
Mayes reported that two trucks full of cars, both identified and concealed, were recently unloaded, which he interpreted as a clear sign of an increase in the operational capacity of the federal agency.
In statements to 12 Newsmaintained that this deployment is not an isolated event, but part of a trend already seen in cities like Minneapolis and Portlandwhere tensions between federal officials and residents led to confrontations.
Beyond the specific controversy, Kris Mayes is a figure with a extensive career in Arizona public life.
Born and raised in a forest area in Prescott, He was educated in public schools in the state and comes from a family linked to education and health, according to his official biography.
He studied political science and journalism at Arizona State University.where she began her professional career as a reporter, and then obtained a master’s degree in Public Administration at Columbia University. His legal training was completed with a law degree from the same university in Arizona.
Before assuming his current position, Mayes He held positions in the administration of Janet Napolitano in the early 2000s and then was appointed to Arizona Corporation Commission. There he won two state elections and served as commissioned between 2003 and 2010a period in which she was also president of the organization.
Currently, She is the 27th attorney general of Arizona.in addition to the second woman to reach that position. From her own institutional profile, she defines herself as a “lawyer for the people.”
