Tucson migrant advocates have designed a new tool to help track immigration-related enforcement in and around the city as arrests surge under President Donald Trump’s mass deportation initiative.
The Afternoon WireA faint meow in the rubble of a Mississippi tornado leads to a stunning rescueBright lights and hot orbs: UFO files shed light on sightings but leave interpretation to the publicFueled by beer ads, March Madness tournaments will expand to 76 teams each starting next seasonShakira teases new song for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with Afrobeats star Burna Boy called 'Dai Dai'Japanese video-game maker Nintendo raises Switch 2 price, forecasts lower profits1 million bees make for bumper-to-buzzer traffic on a Tennessee highway rampFatou, the world's oldest gorilla living in captivity, celebrates her 69th birthday at Berlin ZooOne Tech Tip: Why digital devices and online accounts need spring cleaningA PGA golfer took his shirt off and approached a gator-filled hazard.
AP's photographer was readyTrump is lifting restrictions on hunting in national parks, refuges and wilderness areasWhat to know about hantavirus, the illness linked to a cruise ship outbreakFDA announces its first OK of fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for adults in major shift under TrumpHow to start the new year with a clean inboxDid you find an animal nesting near your house?
Here's what to doPope Leo XIV sought a pastoral role in his first year, but verbal sparring with Trump intervenedDecenas de pasajeros se bajaron del crucero afectado por hantavirus tras la primera muerte, en abrilUS fires on and disables 2 more Iranian tankers as tensions rise in the Strait of HormuzJudge rules Trump administration's cancellation of humanities grants was unconstitutionalTrump drives across Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to inspect new blue coating he's putting on itFIFA triples price to $32,970 for its best available tickets to the World Cup finalMovie Review: Sally Field, Lewis Pullman and an octopus in ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’AP Entertainment WireViral phenomenon in Argentina has young people identifying themselves as animalsHow 2 men claimed an absurd record by driving an old 3-wheel car the length of AfricaDid you find an animal nesting near your house?
Here's what to doA photo captures President Trump and first lady awaiting British royals from rare White House angleThe World in PicturesAir conditioning battery program for renters could help cities manage grid stress during heat wavesFDA's new playbook: Lots of media announcements but not much rulemakingWhat is hantavirus, the infection that killed Betsy Arakawa, Gene Hackman’s wife? One Tech Tip: Don't use rice for your device.
Here's how to dry out your smartphoneDear Readers: Yes, pen pal programs still exist in a digital worldAmy Grant reflects on her new album, resisting labels and writing dark songsPolicía libera a 2 personas tras alarma de rehenes en banco alemán, pero no halla a perpetradoresTucson migrant advocates have designed a new tool to help track immigration-related enforcement in and around the city as arrests surge under President Donald Trump’sallows people to document and visualize enforcement activities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies. While revealing patterns, the tool also raises questions about safety, transparency and the limits of public tracking tools.
“It indicates the level of chaos and how disruptive it is to our community,” activist Lucia Vindiola said in a statement. Vindiola launched the mutual aid group La Bodega to provide groceries and other help to people affected by increased enforcement.
“We are seeing firsthand the impact on families, limiting them from shopping for groceries and supplies,” Vindiola said. — surging from less than 200 in late 2024 to more than 800 by June 2025. The response in communities nationwide has been swift, with groups such as the Tucson Rapid Response network organizing to monitor and track federal immigration action on the street.one of the map’s creators, is a Ph.
D. student at the University of Arizona who volunteers with Tucson Rapid Response and other related organizations.
“This project came out of the documentation work that Rapid Response is doing, but also around the city,” Meyer said. “It is a community research project, community mapping project. ” The data is pulled from spreadsheets maintained since January 2025 that tracks and documents federal enforcement actions in greater Tucson such as raids, vehicle stops and aerial surveillance. Incidents on the map are vetted and classified as “confirmed” or “credible but unconfirmed” based on the level of evidence.
“If we have photographs of, say, an agent wearing a tactical vest that says ICE, that’s confirmed,” Meyer said. “Credible unconfirmed, we’re very confident something happened. ” Meyer said a trained Rapid Response observer witnessing an event, even if they had not photographed it, would be an example of a credible unconfirmed event.
Hundreds of people, including non-citizens, have contributed their eyewitness accounts of immigration enforcement to the map and the database it draws from, according to the Tucson Migrant Map website. Information from the local news is included, along with reports collected by Rapid Response and other neighborhood networks such as Migra Watch, and information shared on social media and in WhatsApp groups.
Rapid Response member Steven Davis has documented five incidents, including one in which he was pepper sprayed by law enforcement. He says having these incidents recorded and published furthers his efforts to better show people what ICE is doing in their community.
“The value of the observation is that we take this out of the shadows and get it out into the public,” Davis said. “The Migra Map is a public facing map that makes visible this activity that is mostly behind the scenes. ” Davis said knowing the data he collects will be used for Migra Map makes it more important for him to document diligently.
“There’s the saying garbage in, garbage out. I want to make sure that the information that I’m providing is the most accurate information that I can possibly provide,” Davis said. Meyer said that as of late April, the team had reviewed around 562 incidents, with about 300 meeting the threshold to be included. The goal is to review reported incidents within a week, then add qualifying cases.
The map also includes police facilities and immigration detention facilities, along with flight paths of various federal agencies’ surveillance flights. The accuracy of the reporting has been confirmed as more data is gathered, said Meyer.
For example, repeated vehicle reports often confirm instances of surveillance. Meyer said he hopes that the map will ultimately become a platform for information accessible to the public.
“It really helps us think about directly when we can see these things in relation to each other,” he added. Meyer said that makes it easier to identify trends and point out hotspots like El Super grocery store on Tucson’s south side, which is frequented by mostly Latino customers and has seen a high concentration of enforcement.
“It’s used as a hunting ground for that, but there are others as well,” Meyer said, such as specific apartment complexes targeted by ICE or other agencies. Meyer said he hopes the Constitution’s protection of free speech will protect Migra Map from a similar fate, and that people in other places will be encouraged to launch their own initiatives.
Davis, the observer, said that unlike the earlier trackers, the Migra Map doesn’t attempt to alert people to events occurring in real time, but reports enforcement actions after the fact.
“It doesn’t tell you where ICE is active right now. It tells you where ICE has been active in the last months,” Davis said.
“You could file a Freedom of Information Act for the Tucson District Office and get the exact same information that we’re providing on the map. ”“It’s not a crime to collect this information and share this information,” said Meyer.
“I think that anyone paying attention is at the very least concerned” about the current administration, Meyer said. He said he feels privileged he can publicly associate with the project.
“The important thing is that it doesn’t tell us a lot,” Meyer said. “While many people would like it to be a real-time alert system, this map can’t be that,” he said.
Immigration Arizona Tucson Minnesota-ICE Crackdown General News Domestic News AZ State Wire Lucia Vindiola U.S. News Adelita Grijalva Politics Steven Davis U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement U.S. News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Acting U.S. Attorney General sits down with ABC15 during Border Security ExpoAdam Klepp joins ABC15 Arizona as a multimedia journalist after stops in Yuma and Tucson.
Read more »
Maine Family Alleges Inhumane Conditions at Arizona ICE Detention FacilityA family is speaking out against appalling conditions at the Arizona Removal Operations Coordination Center, where a Brazilian man was allegedly denied basic hygiene and medical care, prompting lawmakers to seek stricter limits on short-term detentions.
Read more »
Tucson City Council takes symbolic stand against proposed ICE facility in MaranaDenelle Veselik is KGUN 9's Executive Reporter leading KGUN 9's reporters. Send your story ideas to Denelle at denelle.veselikkgun9.com.
Read more »
Washington State Sues ICE Facility Operator Over Blocked Inspections, ICE RespondsWashington Governor Bob Ferguson and Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown are suing The GEO Group, the private company that runs the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, alleging repeated blocking of inspections by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). ICE spokesperson says DOH did not follow procedures to request access, while Washington State Attorney General's Office says they followed the procedures.
Read more »