Flagstaff officials, community remain in the dark amid reports of ICE expanding into northern Arizona

PHOENIX – Federal immigration authorities are eyeing a foothold in Flagstaff as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) looks for space to station agents in the region, city officials say. The potential move marks a shift in immigration enforcement in northern Arizona, where no organized operations have previously been confirmed.

On March 26, the City of Flagstaff released a statement indicating that ICE is looking to lease office space within the mountain town of nearly 80,000. However, the details of the inquiry are unclear, even to local officials. 

In a statement to CALÓ News, ICE declined to confirm any specific plans for Flagstaff.

Anonymous tips to CALÓ News and the Arizona Daily Sun, however, suggest they may be eyeing property in the western part of the city, though city officials say no location has been confirmed.

“We are unaware of the final location or the status of a lease or purchase,” they said. “No request has been made to use City property.”

They pointed to established protocols that would guide any potential presence. They specifically outline procedures that outside agencies, such as ICE, must abide by when requesting use of city property.

“The City Manager’s directive establishes a process for outside government and non-profit agencies to request use of City property,” the city told CALÓ via email. “Requests will be made through the City Manager’s Office and will be approved only if they align with City goals, do not disrupt City operations, and do not present an unreasonable danger to public health or safety.”

Additional measures include guidance for city employees on how to respond if federal agents enter a workplace and a public reporting form for residents to report alarming federal activity. 

Officials also clarified the limits of local authority. 

“The Flagstaff Police Department does not enforce federal immigration laws, but also cannot interfere with or prevent lawful federal activities,” the city said in a separate press release.

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ICE cited safety concerns for its personnel for not disclosing information.

“ICE will not confirm office locations as our officers are facing a coordinated campaign of violence against them, including an 8,000% increase in death threats against them and a 1,300% increase in assaults against them,” the agency said in a statement to CALÓ.

The agency also questioned the relevance of the inquiry: “Is it really news that when a federal agency hires more personnel that they need more space? Thanks to the Big Beautiful Bill, we have an additional 12,000 ICE officers and agents on the ground across the country. That’s a 120% increase in our workforce.”

The same two statements have been cited by multiple outlets.

Organizers urge residents to remain vigilant

For longtime immigrant rights advocate Maria Castillo Rincon, the news is both familiar and concerning.

Castillo Rincon, team lead with Keep Flagstaff Together, has been organizing around immigration issues in northern Arizona since 2010. She started after the passage of SB 1070, commonly known as the “show me your papers” law.

Back then, she recalled, community members mobilized quickly. Today, she said, the atmosphere feels different.

“Before, people were not afraid to come out to say this is what we want and this is what we need,” Castillo Rincon said. “Right now, that's very different. I think they're going to be more afraid to come out and speak up for their rights.”

Keep Flagstaff Together, a project of the organization Catch Fire Movement, emerged during Donald Trump’s first term. The group initially focused on rapid response and legal education. Now, amid renewed concerns about deportation policies and enforcement expansion, it is reactivating its outreach efforts.

In a press release, Catch Fire Movement took a firm stance against any expansion of ICE in the region, urging residents not to cooperate with federal efforts.

“A permanent ICE office would further enable racial profiling, expand surveillance and traumatize immigrant communities in Northern Arizona,” the group said. “We urge property owners to resist selling out their humanity for a few bucks.”

Eva Putzova, co-founder and co-executive director of Catch Fire Movement, echoed those concerns while calling for community vigilance. 

“An ICE presence would harm nearby properties and businesses. Tenants and owners need to know the impacts,” Putzova said.

For Castillo Rincon, the implications are not abstract. She said Flagstaff is a city often overlooked in conversations about immigration despite being home to a sizable immigrant population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, six percent of Flagstaff’s population is foreign-born as of 2024. 

“Our immigrant communities are all over the city and county,” she said, noting that they even live in deep-red rural areas. The region also includes the Navajo Nation and Hopi tribal land. 

In response to the news, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission warned that increased immigration enforcement activity is a real possibility, pushing residents to be prepared for encounters with federal agents. 

“With a large Diné population in the Flagstaff area, community awareness is critical,” the statement said.

The response also included “Know Your Rights” information for tribal members, noting that “ICE does NOT recognize Certificates of Indian Blood (CIB) or non-photo IDs.”

The guidance comes after a widely reported January incident in which a Diné man was detained by ICE in Peoria, despite presenting documentation proving his U.S. citizenship.

As federal plans remain unclear, organizations like Catch Fire Movement and Keep Flagstaff Together say they will continue to monitor the situation and direct affected residents to the proper resources.

“We have faith,” Putzova said, “that humanity in people will ultimately prevail.”

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.