Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Tucson, Arizona allegedly posed as utility workers in an apparent attempt to detain a long-time undocumented resident from Honduras, prompting criticism from community members and legal experts.
Christine Cariño, a neighbor and eyewitness of the incident, told Arizona Daily Star that she was approached by two men claiming to be from Tucson Electric Power (TEP) and looking for her neighbor, claiming he had requested a free estimate. When she asked if he was from HSI — Homeland Security Investigations, ICE's investigative arm — "he just smiled. So I took off running" across the street to warn her neighbor, Cariño said.
Cariño filmed the incident and shared the video with local KGUN 9. It shows the men entering the front yard after the man's stepson, believing they were with TEP, opened the gate. "They're lying! They're not in uniform," she shouts in the video. "Don't let them in; they don't have a warrant."
ICE agents are prohibited from entering homes without either consent or a judicial warrant. The agency typically carries only administrative warrants, which do not authorize entry into private spaces. The man reportedly denied ICE's claim that he had missed a court hearing, asserting he had complied with all appointments.
TEP confirmed their employees wear clearly marked uniforms and vehicles. "That should be considered a crime," Cariño said of the impersonation. "If he had a warrant, the situation would have been different. Do it the right way."
Stephanie Padilla, an attorney with the ACLU of Southern California, told Arizona Daily Star that the alleged ruse is part of a broader pattern. "You cannot misrepresent your purpose or your identity when you're doing ICE enforcement operations at or around the home," she said, citing a recent court ruling that such tactics violate Fourth Amendment protections.
The incident comes amid broader concerns over ICE's practices in Arizona. In late May at least a dozen individuals attending civil immigration hearings were arrested by masked ICE agents after their cases were dismissed. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs condemned the arrests, saying she supports border security but opposes "indiscriminate roundups and inhumane immigration enforcement practices."
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