Advocates sound alarm as AZ Republicans push bill that would criminalize sharing ICE sightings

As immigration enforcement activity picks up across the country and community members activate alert networks to keep their neighbors safe, Arizona Republicans aim to pass legislation that criminalizes certain aspects of that activity.

Over a dozen immigration-related bills introduced this session are being heard at the Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature, among them a bill that would disrupt those warning systems built at the grassroots level from Phoenix to Tucson.

Senate Bill 1635, sponsored by Sen. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) would make it a misdemeanor offense for “unlawful alerting,” making it a crime to knowingly warn someone about law enforcement activity in their area if the intent is to “hinder, delay or prevent” an arrest.

Immigration advocacy organizations, like Living United for Change (LUCHA) and Puente Movement for Migrant Justice, are coming together to voice community concerns and ensure this and other proposals fail to move forward in Senate and House chambers.

"The bill references forms of communication such as electronic messages, whistles, or other signals used to alert others. If passed, it may impact how communities share information during enforcement activity," Puente saidin a post shared on Instagram. The language in the bill, while not specific to immigration enforcement, would directly impact the rapid-response work this and other local organizations have been growing since November 2024, after President Donald Trump was re-elected.

Violations would be prosecuted as a Class 1 misdemeanor by the attorney general or county attorneys, and could lead up to six months in county jail and a $2,500 fine.

During Wednesday evening's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona, the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and LUCHA spoke out against the bill.

According to Kavanagh, this bill does not violate First Amendment rights, saying the bill makes it illegal “when an arrest is imminent, warning that person so they can evade arrest,” he said before committee members.

But Harrison Redmond with the ACLU of Arizona disagreed, categorizing the proposed legislation as “an anti-civil liberties bill. This bill is neither narrowly tailored nor does it target violent conduct or obstruction; it targets speech.”

The proposed bill would "make it a crime to warn your neighbors that ICE is in your community," Rohith Chandrashaker said during his testimony before the committee on Wednesday afternoon, speaking out against the bill. "It criminalizes speech, it criminalizes truth, it criminalizes the instinct to protect each other. If a government makes it illegal to tell the truth about what it is doing, that government is not protecting the public, it's protecting itself," he said before the committee.

"Power that is confident doesn't criminalize speech; power that is afraid does."

As Chandrashaker was wrapping up his testimony, and as community members sitting in the audience rose from their seats with their fists held high, he said to the committee, "Let me say this clearly to the MAGA politicians driving this authoritarian agenda: this is un-American," before protesters began chanting, “No justice, no peace! No ICE on our streets!”

Protesters were forced out of the room by security present in the committee chamber.

In a videoshared by LUCHA on Instagram, Sen. Analise Ortiz (D-Phoenix), a committee member, thanked dozens of community members who showed up to speak out against the bill.

“Please don’t feel like your time here was wasted because… packing the room, it does make a difference for us — for the people on the other side aisle, as well, to know that they’re being watched, that they’re going to be held accountable, that we're going to continue to show up even when they try to put roadblocks in our way.”

The bill was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 4-3 vote after protesters were removed from the room. It will be heard next by the Senate Rules Committee.

To track and monitor bills yourself, visit https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview. The site provides updates on votes, fact sheets and original and amended bill texts.

Lorenzo Gomez is a multimedia journalist based in Phoenix, Arizona. He reports on politics, borderlands, culture and minority communities. He obtained a Master of Mass Communication from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. His work has been featured in the Associated Press, CALÓ News, LOOKOUT, Phoenix New Times and Cronkite News.