Her frustration stems from a February incident at the center of a federal lawsuit filed early April by LUCHA and eight individual plaintiffs against Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) and Speaker of the House Steve Montenegro (R-Surprise).

Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) filed a lawsuit against Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Steve Montenegro for violating the constitutional rights of community members who were banned from the State Capitol for the remainder of the legislative session for voicing their opposition to an authoritarian agenda that targets everyday people across our communities.

an organizer and spokesperson for the immigrant rights group Living United for Change in Arizona, told me. “It’s this thing in the back of your head: What if you get stopped because of the color of your skin?