Did you know that Truthout is a nonprofit and independently funded by readers like you? If you value what we do, please support our work with a donation.

The president of the Arizona Senate has called for a criminal investigation into State Sen. Analise Ortiz (D) after she posted a sighting of ICE officers on her Instagram story, informing her followers about potential immigration raids.

“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,” Senate President Warren Petersen, who is running for Arizona attorney general, said in a statement. “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.”

Petersen did not respond to an email from Truthout seeking comment.

Get reliable, independent news and commentary delivered to your inbox every day.

Since Trump took office, Arizona has seen a spike in ICE arrests, which almost doubled between January and June, from 450 people to over 860, according to an Axios analysis of data from UC Berkeley School of Law’s Deportation Data Project. The percentage of people arrested with no criminal charges or convictions also increased, from 18 percent in January to 28 percent in June.

Fellow........

© Truthout