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The leader of an anti-immigrant group was arrested by Surprise police on suspicion of identity theft, according to court records and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

Jennifer M. Harrison, 42, was booked into jail by Surprise police on Oct. 24 on one count of taking the identity of another, a Class 4 felony, said Sgt. Bryant Vanegas, a spokesman for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

Harrison, a founder of the right-wing group AZ Patriots, was released from custody on Friday morning, Vanegas said.

The charge is commonly used to prosecute undocumented immigrants who use a fictitious name or someone’s identity to obtain a job in Arizona.

But in this case, Harrison is accused of taking “the identity of another by accessing an elderly victim’s hotel points,” according to a probable cause statement.

Police allege she did this on Sept. 30 to make a hotel reservation in northern California to attend a rock concert festival, the statement says.

Harrison also was recently the subject of a viral video.

The footage depicted her and another man, protesting a proposal at Tucson City Hall that would prohibit police from inquiring about a person’s immigration status. 

Meanwhile, a mustachioed man, simply known as the “green-shirt guy” for his lime-colored polo, bursts into laughter at Harrison and the man she’s with.

Report: Harrison said she is ‘above the law’

When she was arrested and transferred to a Surprise police station, she told officers she is innocentand did not cooperate with police, the court document says. 

“Jennifer created a scene at the PD (police department) and in the booking room because she believes she is above the law and does not want to be treated like a criminal,” the document says.

Police also said she kicked a trash can over and used profanity, the statement says.

According to the probable cause statement, Harrison used the victim’s name, address and club-reward points to make the hotel reservation.

“This was done without (the) knowledge and permission of the victim who is willing to aid in prosecution,” the court document says.

According to her Facebook account, Harrison attended the Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, which happened from Oct. 11 to Oct. 13.

A cell phone number for Harrison was disconnected and she didn’t immediately return a Facebook message from The Arizona Republic seeking comment.

Who are the AZ Patriots? 

Harrison is a founder of AZ Patriots, a group that has staged protests at Phoenix-area churches hosting asylum-seeking migrant families released by federal immigration authorities, at the state Capitol and at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The group often live streams its activities on Facebook.

On Sept. 20, a federal judge ordered Harrison and three other AZ Patriots members to stop trespassing at several churches in the Phoenix area that had provided temporary shelter, food and clothing to asylum-seeking migrant families released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The order was part of a consent decree which members of the group agreed to sign to end a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of the churches by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The lawsuit accused members of AZ Patriots, and a related group, Patriot Movement AZ, of threatening, harassing and intimidating members of the churches and also of making defamatory remarks.

The day after the federal judge finalized the consent decree, Harrison and another member of AZ Patriots showed up at a Methodist church in Prescott that was hosting an immigration-related panel discussion.

Members of the church asked Harrison to stop live-streaming the event after the church began receiving harassing telephone calls while panelists were talking.

CHURCHES HOUSING MIGRANTS: How Patriot Movement AZ sows fear at churches

Uriel Garcia covers public-safety issues in Arizona. Reach him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ujohnnyg.

Reach Daniel Gonzalez at [email protected] or at 602-444-8312. Follow him on Twitter @azdangonzalez. 

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