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“People are still out here, but the energy has really changed,” said a Latino Maricopa food truck owner, asking for anonymity for fear of deportation. “People are scared to come to work. They’re scared that they’ll be harassed.” “Even those that of us that are here legally, we did everything right, it’s scary,” said another Latino Maricopa resident who works in landscaping and is documented. Executive order targets Pinal County As part of his immigration overhaul, President Trump signed 27 revised policies regarding immigration and seven new policies. The new policies allow ICE to enter “sensitive areas” like churches and schools. One executive order told migrant resource groups to stop work immediately. With a stroke of a presidential pen, Pinal County- based immigrant legal team The Florence Project was cut off. The Florence Project, based in that city and serving Maricopa, is a nonprofit that helps detained migrants navigate the legal immigration system. According to Florence Project staff, they were barred from immigrant detention facilities across Arizona. “This action ignores generations of legal precedent and actions by Congress to ensure people have a process to have their asylum claims heard,” said The Florence Project in a news release. “This leaves no avenues open for people to seek asylum, even if they present at a port of entry. We are proud to stand with people seeking protection and to challenge this cruel and anti-American policy.” The local legal services group has been funded by Congress since 2003. Its grant funding was also cut off. “Shutting down these contracts while simultaneously mobilizing massive deportation operations throughout the country and expanding immigration detention is cruel and an enormous violation of people’s rights under the law,” the news release stated. On Feb. 7, after the group sued the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, the Florence Project had its access to detention centers restored. Taking to the streets It is these sweeping migration actions and the flurry of legal challenges that spurred so many to protest in the streets of Arizona. While left-wing extremists believe in abolishing immigration enforcement totally, many of the more moderate demonstrators are taking issue with how
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Diana Spalacios stands for a portrait at Copper Sky Regional Park Feb. 9.
day and into the night. InMaricopa attended several of the rallies. Some protesters came from Maricopa. The protests “are making a huge impact,” said one local schoolteacher. After teaching a full day of American history, this teacher drove the 45 minutes to join the protests. She asked to remain anonymous for fear of political fallout in her personal life. “I’ve had students come up to me and asking me, ‘Are my parents going to be taken away from me?’ And I teach 9- and 10-year-olds,” she said. The protests remained mostly peaceful in Phoenix, but some protesters smashed police car windshields in Glendale. “We’re trying to show [lawmakers] that we’re not going anywhere,” protester Darwin Guillen told InMaricopa . “We’re standing up for our rights.” Schools not working with law enforcement Maricopa schools fielded dozens of questions about changes to immigration policy, too. It prompted Maricopa Unified School District leaders to send a notice to parents about their policy regarding working with immigration officers. A copy of the memo was provided to InMaricopa by the district. “We want to reassure families that MUSD is committed to protecting the safety and rights
enforcement is being handled. After 15 Native Americans were detained in Arizona in January, several Maricopa residents voiced concern for their Indigenous neighbors as Maricopa is the only city in the U.S. to abut two Indian reservations. Spalacios planned to attend protests for the first time in her life. “The reason why we’re at this protest is to share our story, to be able to fight for our parents that didn’t get that voice,” she said. “Maybe they got deported, or maybe they’re still here, trying to be here legally.” Every night in the first week of February, protesters took to the streets in downtown Phoenix, Glendale and Maryvale. They were large-scale protests, attracting hundreds to shut down thoroughfares in the middle of the This leaves no avenues open for people to seek asylum, even if they present at a port of entry. We are proud to stand with people seeking protection and to challenge this cruel and anti-American policy.” FLORENCE PROJECT
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InMaricopa.com | March 2025
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