One of the latest controversies surrounding law enforcement operations targeting illegal aliens were the actions of State Senator Analise Ortiz:
Last week, Arizona State Sen. Analise Ortiz, vulgarly defended her actions after she admitted to alerting illegal immigrants to ICE presence in her district. The Glendale leftist, who also is accused of doxxing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, shook her fist at ‘fascists and white supremacists in power in Arizona’ and claimed she had a right to interfere in federal immigration law enforcement activities.
Senator Ortiz has decided that she is protected by the First Amendment, and some agree with her conclusion:
A First Amendment expert at the Freedom Forum said Ortiz is right.
‘She has a First Amendment right to talk about, to share publicly available, publicly viewable information on an issue that is clearly a major public concern up for debate right now, not just in Arizona, but across the country,’ Alex Morey said. Morey, a First Amendment specialist at the nonpartisan nonprofit, said it’s not a crime to share data that [is] publicly available, even if it makes law enforcement’s life a little more complicated.
Darrell Hill, policy director at the ACLU of Arizona, agreed.
‘This is just [a] normal part of being a member of society, being a member of the public, and a normal expression of First Amendment rights and activities, he said.
Really? Does anyone think that interfering in and sabotaging law enforcement operations are “just a normal part of being a member of society”?
But those people who are not willing to aid and abet criminals disagree. They recognize that the First Amendment is being manipulated and abused. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin describes Ortiz’s actions in this way:
‘Arizona state Senator Analise Ortiz is siding with vicious cartels, human traffickers, and violent criminals over American citizens,’ said McLaughlin.
‘Notifying the public about ICE law enforcement operations endangers law enforcement and weakens American national security,’ she went on.
In response to Fox News Digital’s question about whether Ortiz could face charges, McLaughlin answered, ‘This certainly looks like obstruction of justice.’
Ortiz has been called out by the president of the state senate for her outrageous behavior:
Arizona State Senator Analise Ortiz may be facing criminal charges after she apparently admitted to violating federal law for impeding and doxxing Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
‘The comments made by Senator Ortiz are deeply troubling and do not reflect the position of the Arizona State Senate,’ said Arizona State President Warren Petersen. ‘I spoke with the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona and referred this matter to his office to investigate, as it appears she may be in violation of federal law. Arizona Senate Republicans stand firmly in support of ICE and the important work they do to uphold our nation’s immigration laws and protect our communities.’
One law firm provides a legal description of “obstruction of justice” and “aiding and abetting”:
- Obstruction of Justice: Under federal law, obstructing an officer in the performance of their official duties is a serious offense. This includes actions such as physically blocking ICE agents, providing false information, or using intimidation to prevent an arrest. Depending on the circumstances, individuals could face misdemeanor or felony charges, leading to fines and potential jail time.
- Aiding and Abetting/Harboring: Individuals who provide assistance to someone evading arrest, whether through transportation, shelter, or other means, may also face legal repercussions. Under federal law, this can be viewed as aiding and abetting a fugitive, which is a criminal offense. Federal law also prohibits harboring of an undocumented immigrant. Under this law, individuals who shield an undocumented immigrant from detection, or attempts to conceal, harbor, or shield an undocumented immigrant from detection could face felony charges.
From these descriptions, they both seem to directly apply to the Ortiz case.
Ortiz also does not have the right to endanger the lives of ICE agents who are just doing their jobs, which she’s certainly guilty of if she did in fact dox them. Former State Senator Travis Grantham summarizes the situation this way:
‘This behavior endangers law enforcement officer’s lives. I support investigating this and holding Senator Ortiz accountable to the fullest extent of the law and to the rules of the Senate. Prosecution and expulsion should absolutely be on the table. What a disgrace!’
Lock her up!
Image: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Flickr, unaltered.