Democratic Freshman Rep. Grijalva Faces Backlash After Escalating Claims in Fiery TV Interview: From Pepper Spray Denial to 'We Were Shot At'

Tucson, Ariz. – December 7, 2025 – In a weekend television appearance that has ignited fresh controversy, newly elected Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona doubled down on her accusations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, pivoting from an initial claim of being directly pepper-sprayed to alleging that protesters – including herself – were "shot at" during a chaotic raid last Friday. The remarks, delivered amid visible emotion on what was formerly MSNBC's MS Now with host Jen Psaki, come just days after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) publicly debunked her original account, labeling it a "medical marvel" if true.

The incident unfolded outside Taco Giro, a beloved mom-and-pop Mexican restaurant in west Tucson that Grijalva says she frequents weekly. Federal agents, executing 16 search warrants as part of a multi-year probe into immigration and tax violations, descended on multiple locations of the chain, leading to the arrest of several individuals. What began as a routine enforcement operation quickly escalated into a standoff when local protesters, fearing warrantless detentions, blocked the agents' path.

Grijalva, the 35-year-old daughter of longtime Rep. Raúl Grijalva and Arizona's first Chicana congresswoman, arrived on the scene with staffers after hearing reports of the raid. In a video posted to X (formerly Twitter) shortly after, the progressive firebrand – who was sworn in last month following a contentious delay – claimed she identified herself as a member of Congress while seeking clarification on the operation. "I was sprayed in the face by a very aggressive agent, pushed around by others," she said, coughing on camera as an orange chemical cloud billowed nearby. She accused the agents of targeting her staff and members of the press as well, calling ICE a "lawless agency" operating without "transparency or accountability."

Footage circulating online, including clips from Univision reporter Óscar Gómez and Grijalva's own account, shows a tense confrontation: Masked agents in tactical gear advance on a small group of demonstrators, one firing a canister that explodes at Grijalva's feet, creating a dispersing cloud. Grijalva can be heard urging officers to "calm down and get out," while an agent repeatedly orders the crowd to "get out of the way." A separate angle captures pepper spray being deployed toward protesters, with Grijalva in the frame but not appearing to be directly hit in the face.

DHS swiftly pushed back. Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, in a pointed X post, dismissed the congresswoman's narrative: "If her claims were true, this would be a medical marvel. But they're not true. She wasn't pepper sprayed. She was in the vicinity of someone who was pepper sprayed as they were obstructing and assaulting law enforcement." McLaughlin added that two officers were seriously injured by the "mob" Grijalva joined, emphasizing that "presenting oneself as a 'Member of Congress' doesn't give you the right to obstruct law enforcement." ICE spokesperson Fernando Burgos confirmed the operation's legitimacy but declined to comment on individual encounters.

The backlash intensified Saturday when Grijalva appeared on MS Now, where Psaki, the former White House press secretary, expressed visible concern. Visibly shaken, Grijalva recounted the fear of the moment, her voice cracking as she described nonlethal projectiles being "launched" at the group. "We were shot at," she said, framing the encounter as a broader assault on democratic oversight. "And it's really scary. It was very frightening and very jarring." The phrasing – elevating pepper balls and gas canisters to gunfire – drew immediate fire from conservative critics, who accused her of fearmongering to rally her base ahead of potential congressional probes into ICE.

Arizona Republicans and online commentators were quick to pounce. "The barrage of lies you spew is relentless," tweeted one user, referencing the video evidence. "First you tell us ICE sprayed you... now you're trying to say they shot at you. Pitiful."

Even some neutral observers on X questioned the escalation, with one post noting, "Shot at her feet... What gives her the right to interrupt their mission?"

Grijalva's allies, however, rallied to her defense. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), a fellow Tucson native running for reelection, blasted the agents on social media: "Pepper-spraying a sitting member of Congress is disgraceful, unacceptable, and absolutely not what we voted for." Progressive outlets like The Intercept highlighted how pepper spray's aerosol nature could affect anyone nearby, calling DHS's denial "a lack of understanding as to how [it] works." Grijalva herself posted a follow-up video on X Friday evening, showing a projectile landing behind her and declaring, "If federal agents are brazen enough to fire pellets directly at a Member of Congress, imagine how they behave when encountering defenseless members of our community. It’s time for Congress to rein in this rogue agency NOW."

The episode fits into a pattern of high-profile clashes between Democratic lawmakers and federal enforcers under the Trump administration's renewed immigration crackdown. Earlier this year, Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez (both D-N.J.) scuffled with ICE during a Newark raid, while Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was briefly detained by FBI agents at a press event. Grijalva's case, however, stands out for its viral optics and rapid fact-checking, thrusting the freshman – who inherited her father's progressive mantle after his death in October – into the national spotlight just weeks into her term.

As calls mount for an independent review, Grijalva ended her interview with a defiant plea: "While I am fine, if that is the way they treat me, how are they treating other community members who do not have the same privileges and protections that I do?" Whether her words galvanize reform or fuel further division remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: In the heated border-state battleground of Arizona, this Tucson taco stand has become the unlikely epicenter of America's immigration wars.

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Heather Robinson