Arizona GOP Files Ethics Complaint, Seeks Expulsion of Democrat Senator Over ICE Alerts

Arizona Republican lawmakers, led by State Sen. Jake Hoffman, have called for the expulsion or significant disciplinary action against Democratic State Sen. Analise Ortiz after she posted warnings on social media about a federal ICE enforcement operation near a Phoenix elementary school. Hoffman filed an ethics complaint accusing Ortiz of jeopardizing the safety of law enforcement officers and advocating lawlessness by alerting the public to ICE activity, which he claims undermines federal immigration enforcement and violates her oath to uphold state and federal laws. Ortiz, representing a Latino-majority district, defended her actions as necessary to protect her community from what she describes as unconstitutional and authoritarian tactics by President Trump's administration. Senate President Warren Petersen and GOP Majority Leader John Kavanagh support the complaint, though Hoffman acknowledged the difficulty of securing the two-thirds Senate vote needed for expulsion and instead seeks removal of Ortiz from committees, office space, and staff support. Ortiz has pushed back, accusing Republicans of intimidation and attempting to silence her from informing constituents about ICE operations. The Senate Ethics Committee will decide how to proceed with Hoffman's complaint, while Ortiz has also called for a federal investigation into the matter.