Hobbs launches ‘Know Your Rights’ website after weeks of ICE enforcement protests

In response to a spate of violent and indiscriminate arrests by federal agents carrying out the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, Gov. Katie Hobbs has launched a website for immigrants, employers and protesters in Arizona to know their rights. 

Public outrage over brutal raids across the country and the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis have prompted hundreds of demonstrations, including in Arizona, where thousands have taken to the streets over the past several weeks to express their anger about President Donald Trump and his mass deportation agenda. 

Elected officials in multiple states have responded by terminating agreements between ICE and local law enforcement agencies, walking back deals to erect new ICE detention facilities and reaffirming commitments to immigrant communities. 

On Wednesday, Hobbs announced the creation of a state website intended as a resource for Arizonans, immigrants and citizens alike. In a video unveiling the new website subtitled in English and Spanish, Hobbs lamented the violent conduct of federal immigration agents and said it was more imperative than ever that Arizonans exercise their First Amendment right to engage in “calm and peaceful” protest, while at the same time staying informed. 

“I share the fear and anger of many Arizonans, who over the past year have seen far too many instances of federal agents denying us our right to peaceful protest, in some instances unlawfully detaining and arresting American citizens — and, in horrific cases in Minnesota, shooting and killing two people,” she said. 

Reversing course: Hobbs launches website after stepping back from ICE criticism

The move is a departure from Hobbs’ effort last week to distance herself from Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ overt criticism of ICE. In an interview with KTAR News, Mayes warned that, by wearing masks to hide their identities and refusing to show badges or identify themselves, federal agents are creating a “combustible” situation in Arizona. She said that ICE’s secret memo telling agents they are allowed to use force to enter a residence, even without a judicial warrant, could lead to violence because of Arizona’s robust Stand Your Grand law. 

“(Stand Your Ground) is really expansive and it says, ‘If you reasonably believe that your life is in danger and especially if you are in your home or automobile, … you can use lethal force to protect yourself,’” she said. 

Those comments ignited a political firestorm, with Republican politicians and several sheriffs and police departments denouncing them as justifying or even telling Arizonans to commit violence against law enforcement agents. Both chambers of the GOP majority state legislature have since approved resolutions calling for Mayes’ resignation. 

Hobbs joined critics in calling for Mayes to retract her comments. Since her election, the governor has worked to maintain a moderate stance on immigration, and though she has kept Trump at an arm’s length, she has expressed a willingness to work with him and largely avoided criticizing him directly. 

At the same time as she has been quick to reject legislation that criminalizes immigrants or attempts to give the state the power to enforce federal immigration laws, Hobbs has continuously highlighted her investments in and partnerships with law enforcement agencies that address border crimes. Last year, she was among the handful of Democrats who sought to cement their tough-on-immigration bonafides by vocally supporting the passage of the federal Laken Riley Act, which became Trump’s first win on the issue and helped lay the groundwork for his immigration crackdown. 

Lists and Links: new website includes information, more resources on rights

The new website, titled “Know Your Rights,” emphasizes that everyone has rights, whether they are a citizen or not. 

“The Office of Governor Katie Hobbs provides this information to help Arizonans understand their constitutional rights,” reads the landing page. “All people have certain constitutional rights, regardless of immigration status.”

The website includes information on what to do if ICE agents show up on a person’s doorstep or at an employer’s workplace. Also detailed are what documents immigrants should keep on hand or complete in the event they are ever detained, such as legal arrangements for transferring parental power if they have minor children. Links to legal aid groups are listed. 

A subsection explains that tribal enrollment cards are valid proof of citizenship. Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes and tribal members have already been caught up in immigration enforcement operations. Last month, Peter Yazzie, who is Navajo, was detained outside a convenience store by ICE agents in Peoria for several hours, despite having his birth certificate and Certificate of Indian Blood in his car. 

A separate page covers the rights of protesters and community observers of ICE activity, who have faced repeated hostility from federal agents. Both Good and Pretti were members of community groups that documented ICE activity in Minneapolis and were observing raids when they were shot and killed. Included on both pages of the new website several times is a link to a reporting portal set up by Mayes on the state attorney general’s website for people to report the potential misconduct of federal agents.