Rep Adelita Grijalva pepper-sprayed by ICE? Video emerges as DHS refutes Democrat lawmaker's claim
Democrat Rep Adelita Grijalva claimed that she was pushed aside and pepper-sprayed by ICE agents during a raid in Tucson, Arizona.
Democrat Representative Adelita Grijalva claimed that she was pushed aside and pepper-sprayed by ICE agents when they were carrying out a raid in Tucson, Arizona, on December 5. Taking to X, Grijlava, who was just sworn in in November 12, claimed that the incident took place when ICE agents were carrying out a raid at a mom-and-pop restaurant, Taco Giro.
“ICE just conducted a raid by Taco Giro in Tucson - a small mom-and-pop restaurant that has served our community for years. When I presented myself as a Member of Congress asking for more information, I was pushed-aside and pepper sprayed,” she claimed.
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In the video, Grijlava claimed she'd been pepper sprayed in the face, and raised allegations of being manhandled by agents, who were allegedly mostly masked. However, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin has contradicted her claims on X, while sharing Grijlava's post.
“If her claims were true, this would be a medical marvel,” McLaughlin said. A.W. Smith Law Firm, which deals in personal injuries, including pepper sprays, notes that swelling occurs usually when someone is pepper sprayed. In the video, no swelling was visible on the the Democrat lawmaker's face, where she'd claimed to have been pepper sprayed.
McLaughlin, meanwhile, continued “But they’re not true. She wasn’t pepper sprayed.” She clarified the lawmaker was close to someone who had gotten pepper sprayed.
“She was in the vicinity of someone who *was* pepper sprayed as they were obstructing and assaulting law enforcement. In fact, 2 law enforcement officers were seriously injured by this mob that @Rep_Grijalva joined. Presenting one’s self as a “Member of Congress” doesn’t give you the right to obstruct law enforcement,” the DHS official added.
Amid the row over whether ICE agents pepper sprayed a US Representative, videos of the incident have been shared online.
Videos of ICE raid and Rep Adelita Grijalva
Videos of Rep Adelita Grijalva present at the ICE raid have emerged online and are being widely circulated. She can be heard protesting the raid even as federal agents ask her to move from the spot.
In one of the videos, an ICE agent can be seen pepper spraying those protesting at the raid. However, the clip doesn't appear to show the Democrat lawmaker getting pepper sprayed. A person comes in between and appears to shield her, saying ‘watch out.’
Sharing the clip, the lawmaker wrote “ICE is a lawless agency under this Administration – operating with no transparency, no accountability, and open disregard for basic due process. No family in our community should live in fear, and I will not rest until we get clear answers and accountability.”
In another clip, an ICE agent fires a pellet directly at her, as she continues to protest the raid. However, Grijalva continues, appearing unfazed.
Grijalva shared this clip and wrote “If federal agents are brazen enough to fire pellets directly at a Member of Congress, imagine how they behave when encountering defenseless members of our community. It’s time for Congress to rein in this rogue agency NOW.”
