DHS fires back at Rep. Grijalva’s pepper-spray claim during Tucson ICE raid

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday pushed back against accusations by Arizona Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva, who claimed she was pepper sprayed during an immigration raid in Tucson.

In a post on

“ICE conducted a raid on Taco Giro in Tucson, a small mom-and-pop restaurant that has been serving our community for years,” Grijalva wrote. “When I presented myself as a Member of Congress to get more information, I was pushed aside and pepper sprayed.”

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In a separate post, Grijalva called ICE a “lawless agency” that “operates without transparency, accountability, and blatantly disregards basic legal processes.”

DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin quickly responded to Grijalva’s claims, saying she was never sprayed directly, only “in the vicinity of someone who was.”

“If his claims were true, this would be a medical miracle,” McLaughlin said. “But these are not true. He was not sprayed with pepper spray. He was near someone who was exposed to pepper spray because of someone who attacked and obstructed the police.”

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McLaughlin also said two law enforcement officers were “seriously injured” during the incident.

“In fact, two law enforcement officers were seriously injured by this gang. [Grijalva] “Identifying yourself as a ‘member of Congress’ does not give you the right to obstruct the implementation of the law.” More information to come.”

The conflict also led the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which includes about 100 Democratic lawmakers, to call for a congressional investigation.

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DHS Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said two officers were “seriously injured” during the incident in Tucson. (DHS.gov)

The group’s vice chair is Rep. Rep. D-Minn. Ilhan Omar condemned the incident as a “disgusting display of violence” against Grijalva and warned that it reflected a “dangerous moment for American democracy.”

The dispute emerged a day after DHS said it had captured at least a dozen people. criminal illegal immigrants during Operation Subway Surge in Minneapolis – including “child sex offenders, domestic abusers, and violent gang members.”

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“Whenever and wherever, 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.