ICE activity has tripled in Arizona. What can you do to help those most impacted?

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As the city of Minneapolis continues to show up in defense of immigrants — even after the killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents as they protested against the ongoing immigration raids — Phoenix residents are becoming more aware of the increased risk Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) presence brings to their own communities. 

With over 68,000 migrants currently in ICE detention centers nationwide, according to data analyzed by Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) and detentions in Arizona tripling over the last year, according to a CALÓ News analysis, ICE activity has shown no signs of slowing down with the recent $3.4 billion granted by Congress to expand detention facilities, including the recently purchased warehouse in Surprise meant to house between 7,000-10,000 migrants. 

In metro Phoenix, more and more everyday residents are showing up and getting involved like never before seen, according to leaders in non-profit organizations and grassroots coalitions — attending training, voicing concerns at protests and helping with crowdfunding for families and individuals affected by the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts. 

But getting involved might seem a bit daunting to some, especially if it’s something never attempted before. Here are a few ways you can start showing up.

Attend a Know-Your-Rights training

Arizona has no shortage of immigration advocacy groups that have launched Know-Your-Rights trainings across town, where citizens and non-citizens alike are walked through their Constitutional rights.

During these trainings, people can learn about:

• your rights under the U.S. Constitution, regardless of immigration status

• how to best prepare yourself and your family for an ICE encounter

• what to do during and after an ICE detention

• how to document, protest and report ICE activity safely

• other ways to get involved with the organization providing the training

“The Know Your Rights Initiative actually came from our community who came to us and said that this is what they needed. We were getting a lot of people reaching out, a lot of schools reaching out, even small businesses reaching out about needing more guidance on knowing their rights,” Karime Rodriguez with the Arizona Center for Empowerment (ACE) said in an interview with CALÓ News back in November.

Groups like ACE, its sister organization Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), Poder in Action, the Arizona American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona and Semillas Arizona have been training thousands of families, volunteers and concerned Phoenix community members.

Most prominently, a partnership between Puente Movement for Migrant Justice and Borderlands Resource Initiative, has been instrumental in getting folks involved not only in trainings but volunteering as rapid-response observers — among the first to show up in an area where ICE activity has been reported to observe and assist any impacted — and joining their accompaniment program — which pairs an individual going to immigration court with a trained person so they don’t have to face the outcome of the hearing alone.

Support legal aid and immigration defense funds 

While understanding your rights is a proactive way to protect yourself during immigration interactions, on the other side of this coin are the legal aid funds supporting those in need of legal representation. 

There are many localized groups and non-profits that have launched and contributed to legal aid and defense funds that offer a wide-range of various family, children and migrant-oriented legal services. Some of those include:

• Kino Border Initiative (KBI)

• Phoenix Legal Action Network (PLAN)

• Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project (FIRRP)

• Acacia Center for Justice

Donate to food banks and mutual aid

Raids are separating families, often leaving households without their main caregiver. Without a steady flow of income, many are facing financial, nutritional and healthcare challenges.

Puente is one of the many non-profit organizations partnering with local businesses to raise not only funds to help provide mutual aid for families, but also offer a consistent monthly food bank through their Banco de Comida.

Other local food banks set-up for families affected by mass deportation efforts city-wide also include:

• Harvest Compassion Center (HCC)

• Phoenix Rescue Mission

• Alhambra Elementary School District’s Valencia Newcomer School. 

Community members are also able to give monetary donations directly to those affected through a wide array of GoFundMe campaigns, set-up by affected families and organizers.

Protest, petition and help rally the masses

With every Department of Homeland Security (DHS) raid or piece of ICE-related public policy that’s being rolled out, Phoenix residents are standing up and raising their voice in defiance. 

From the massive turn outs that were a result of both No Kings Day marches organized by local branches of Indivisible and 50501 to sit-ins at Phoenix City Council meetings to make their immigration concerns heard, grassroots organizers and community activists are highly active and involved.

Showing up is free, with or without a sign in hand, and there are plenty of ways to get involved, whether that’s on a street corner, inside the city council chambers, outside of the Arizona State Capitol or in front of an ICE detention center. If you are attending a protest, equip yourself with knowledge on your First Amendment rights and how to proceed if law enforcement escalates the situation. Learn more about that from the ACLU here.

Protests are in no short supply across the Valley, especially amid the nationwide expansion of ICE facilities, the lack of oversight of federal agencies, raids on local businesses and restaurants and a continued increase in ICE activity throughout the Phoenix area.

To get involved with your local organization, visit their website. You can find a list of Arizona-based, immigration advocacy groups here: Immigration orgs and advocacy groups across the state.

Analisa Valdez (she/her) is a freelance journalist based in Phoenix. Her reporting includes community & culture, social justice, arts, business and politics.

This reporting was produced in partnership between CALÓ News and Chavez Media Foundation and La Campesina Radio with funding provided by the Latino Media Collaborative.