Attorney General Kris Mayes alleged in an hour-long debate that her opponent, Warren Petersen, would deport tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children if he is elected in November — a claim Petersen denies.
"My opponent stood and said the following words about the 70,000 Dreamers in the state of Arizona," Mayes said. "These are babies who were brought to Arizona when they were little children, who are now firefighters and teachers and small business owners. He said to those folks, be prepared to be deported."
Petersen rejected that claim during the Sept. 23 debate hosted by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission and Arizona Media Association and said Mayes was twisting his words.
What did Warren Petersen say about DACA recipients?
Petersen
said he would work with the federal government to "deport everyone who enters this country illegally" in response to a post about recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, but did not explicitly say that he would deport DACA recipients.
The comments stem from a June exchange between Mayes and Petersen on X. Mayes posted a video talking about DACA on the 14th anniversary of the program.
President Barack Obama created the program leading up to the November 2012 presidential election, amid congressional gridlock on immigration reform and criticism from immigrant advocates that his deportation policies had gone too far.
Undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children are often known as "Dreamers." Some of them were eligible under DACA to apply for temporary protection from deportation in exchange for coming forward and registering with the government. DACA recipients receive temporary work permits and must reapply for the program every two years.
There were 16,200 active DACA recipients in Arizona as of June 2026, the seventh-highest number of any state. The nationwide total is 436,350, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"No one should live in fear of being separated from their family or the only home that they have ever known," Mayes said in a June video. Mayes talked about a lawsuit filed by a coalition of state attorneys general and civil rights groups that successfully overturned President Donald Trump's order curbing birthright citizenship. Her post said "the Constitution is not optional and I will always fight to protect the rights of Arizonans."
Petersen shot back on X offering "some free legal advice to our sitting AG. DACA is found nowhere in the Constitution."
"She is fighting to protect illegals," Petersen wrote in reply. "I will keep our border secure and will work with the federal government to deport everyone who enters this country illegally. We welcome everyone who comes here legally and abides by the law. But be ready to be deported or prosecuted if you don't."
Mayes and her Democratic allies alleged Petersen would deport DACA recipients, who have been in legal limbo for over a decade because of courtroom and political challenges to the program. Far from the debate stage, her campaign has amplified Petersen's statements at least a half dozen times and included them in fundraising pleas.
Petersen said after the debate that's not what he said.
"DACA recipients are currently here legally," he said. "They're here legally. They cannot be deported."
Asked about Trump's position that DACA recipients don't have legal status, Petersen said "that's not what the courts are saying."
DACA provides temporary deportation shield, not permanent status
Petersen told The Arizona Republic if he is elected attorney general, his legal position would be that DACA recipients have legal status and cannot be deported.
While DACA recipients are granted temporary protection from deportation, they do not have legal status that provides a path toward legalization, according to the American Immigration Council.
DACA recipients can lose their DACA status. That makes them vulnerable to deportation due to administrative delays in processing their renewals, which have become common under the Trump administration, and if they commit certain crimes.
Asked if he would try to deport DACA recipients whose applications have not been processed, Petersen said after the debate "everything I have seen is that they have ruled that DACA is here legally and they cannot be deported."
About 600,000 people potentially eligible for the program cannot apply because the Department of Homeland Security is not taking first-time applications, according to the American Immigration Council.
The program has been mired in legal challenges. While a 2025 poll showed it was popular among the public, it has been criticized by some Republicans who favor a more aggressive immigration enforcement and deportation policy.
Hundreds of DACA recipients have been detained and dozens deported amid the Trump administration's broader crackdown, amplifying concerns of critics — like Mayes — who say the president's aggressive enforcement has gone too far.
Mayes, a Democrat, has criticized Trump's second-term enforcement strategies but said she opposes illegal immigration. Petersen, a Republican and president of the Arizona Senate, has taken a hardline stance on immigration enforcement, backing the Secure the Border Act to allow local law enforcement agencies a greater role in policing the state's southern border.
Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.com or 480-416-5669.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Does Warren Petersen want to deport DACA recipients?
