Amid ICE activity in Phoenix and Tucson, Mexican consulates ask residents to remain calm

Versión en español

NOGALES, Ariz. – As the federal government increases immigration raids in major cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, fear of falling into the hands of immigration agents is also being felt in Arizona, prompting consular authorities to urge calm.

Even though, according to the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix, the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents remains at levels seen since the beginning of President Donald Trump's term, they continue to alert the community about how ICE operates in Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties.

For example, in October, the consulate in Phoenix alerted Mexican nationals that the Pinal County Sheriff's Office is collaborating with ICE after relatives of detainees informed the consulate, according to María Fernanda Arreguín Gámez, Consul for Protection and Legal Affairs at the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix.

This, Arreguín Gámez shared with CALÓ News, is how they detect when there is increased activity from immigration authorities. They have noticed that the community has been approaching the consulate more often to report when their relatives have been detained, he said.

The Pinal County Sheriff's Office is the only agency in Arizona that has signed an agreement with ICE to operate in a task force manner under the 287(g) Program, which authorizes the delegation of immigration functions to state and local law enforcement officers under the agency's direction and supervision.

In addition to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office, nine other agencies — including the Mesa Police Department — are enrolled in the program but operate only in a jail-enforcement model and as warrant service officers.

CALÓ News reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on recent ICE enforcement operations in the Valley and southern Arizona, but did not get a response at the time of publication.

Although Pinal County falls under the jurisdiction of the Mexican Consulate General in Tucson, Arreguín Gámez explained that, in cases where people are detained in the county, their families live in Phoenix and communicate with the nearest consulate.

“The vast majority of the Mexican community resides in Maricopa County, which is one of the largest counties and it falls to the Phoenix consulate to serve this community,” she said.

The consular official clarified that ICE is specifically targeting individuals with outstanding warrants. What has changed, she said, is that immigration agents will detain others accompanying those individuals with warrants.

“It’s important to say this because it generates panic among the population, even though we aren’t experiencing raids here in Arizona. It’s important that people remain calm, go about their daily lives and always respect the laws of the state we are in,” said Arreguín Gámez.

When asked whether they have detected a greater ICE presence in recent weeks, she responded that they have observed roughly the same level of activity as they have since the beginning of this federal administration. In an interview with CALÓ News during the summer, the Mexican Consul General in Phoenix, Jorge Mendoza Yescas, said that “according to the conversations I’ve had, (now) there are around 50 people throughout Arizona. That is a significant increase compared to what it was before, which was 10 before January 20th. We’re talking about a 500% increase.”

For his part, the Mexican Consul General in Tucson, Fernando Adrián Sánchez Roldán, shared that in the consulate’s jurisdiction, they have not detected an increase in ICE presence, but assured that his office is seeking a meeting with the Pinal County Sheriff.

In Tucson, there have been about 60 ICE operations between May and October 2025, he said.

He added that a decrease in attempted border crossings by Mexican nationals has also been detected. According to figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), between February and September of this year, the monthly average has been more than 10,700 encounters with migrants at the southern border. During the same period in 2014, more than 100,000 encounters were recorded each month.

Marco Moreno Báez, Mexico's Consul General in Nogales, Arizona, reported that there has been ICE activity in the jurisdiction. Still, so far, there is no major alert due to an increase.

He confirmed that local authorities in Nogales do not cooperate with ICE.

Recommendations from Mexican Consulates

The consuls made several recommendations to Mexican nationals and migrants in general:

• Carry identification, such as your passport or a consular ID, which is recognized as valid in Arizona.

• Memorize a family member's phone number.

• Understand your right to remain silent. 

• Act respectfully toward law enforcement officers.

• Have a safety plan for your children.

• Know the number for legal assistance for Mexican nationals in the United States: the Center for Information and Assistance to Mexican Persons (CIAM), with telephone number (520) 623-7874, available 24 hours a day.

Arreguín Gámez added that consular registration can be processed at any Mexican consulate and costs $39.

For those who are detained, officials recommend:

• Remain calm, be respectful and avoid resistance or aggression.

• Do not lie or provide false documentation.

• Do not sign any document if you do not understand what it says.

• Request that the Mexican consulate be notified.

In addition, Sánchez Roldán recommended avoiding traffic violations to prevent being detained for them, since many detentions can be avoided through prevention.

How to get in touch with your nearest consulate

Nogales

• Office: 135 W. Cardwell St., Nogales, AZ

• Contact: 520-287-2521 or 520-287-3381

• Website: http://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/nogales

Phoenix

• Office: 320 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ

• Contact: 602-242-7398 or emergency: 602-242-7398

• Website: https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/phoenix/

Tucson

• Office: 3915 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson, AZ

• Contact: 520-882-5595 or emergency: 520-975-5832

Website: http://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/tucson