PHOENIX — Some activists were blocked from entering the Arizona Senate on Friday morning during a committee hearing on a controversial bill that would allow federal immigration officers at voting locations this year.
A “strike everything” amendment to Senate Bill 1570 would force counties to sign agreements with the federal government to allow immigration law enforcement at polling locations for the 2026 general election.
Senate security blocked some people with "Living United for Change in Arizona" from entering the building as the Judiciary & Elections panel hearing began.
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State Sen. Analise Ortiz, who sits on the committee, was seen outside the Senate, advocating for their entrance.
A spokesperson for Senate Republicans said staff issued trespassing notices to people who refused to stop “prohibited behavior.”
State law makes it illegal to knowingly disturb or disrupt legislative proceedings.
“These actions were not directed at any organization or viewpoint,” spokesperson Kim Quintero told ABC15 in a statement. “They were based solely on documented conduct that violated established law and rules that apply equally to everyone in the Capitol.”
She said LUCHA as an organization was not issued a trespassing notice, noting that members who complied with Capitol rules weren’t cited.
Activists were ejected from the committee's hearing on Wednesday night when lawmakers were discussing Senate Bill 1635, a bill that would make it illegal to warn someone about an impending arrest. Senate staff reviewed video from committee hearings and "positively identified" people in violation of the law on Friday and asked them to stop, Quintero said.
"The Arizona Senate is committed to maintaining a safe and orderly environment at the Capitol for lawmakers, staff, members of the media, and the public," she said.
What SB 1570 would do
SB 1570 would require county recorders and supervisors to sign agreements with federal immigration law enforcement to allow immigration officers at every polling location and drop box for the 2026 general election.
State Sen. Jake Hoffman says the legislation is needed to strengthen election security and ensure election laws are consistently enforced.
"Arizonans deserve to know that election laws are not just written in statute but actually enforced in practice," he said in a statement.
Vivian Serafin, a LUCHA spokesperson, told ABC15 on Wednesday that the bill is voter suppression, saying ICE or Border Patrol agents will intimidate Latino and Black voters.
"They're going to be there with weapons at their their waist," she said. "They're going to be there with masks. They're going to be with bulletproof vests. And that in no way fosters a safe environment for voters."
All bills must be approved by a committee by Friday in order to advance. SB 1570 is on Friday's Judiciary and Elections schedule, but had not yet been heard as of 11 a.m.
