PHOENIX — As anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles reach their fourth night, many here in the Valley are bracing for more immigration enforcement.
“People here in the community are really upset and angry of ICE going into courthouses and detaining parents and children,” said Jose Patino, the vice president of education and external affairs at Aliento.
Back in May, ABC15 crews caught protesters outside a Phoenix immigration court confronting ICE agents detaining people whose asylum cases were apparently dismissed.
Patino, who works with the migrant advocacy group Aliento, says the frustrations with ICE in LA are shared by many in Phoenix.
“If there were to be an operation similar to LA here in Phoenix, you’ll probably have a similar reaction. There’s a powder keg,” said Patino.
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“We’re aware that a lot of this stuff like causes a lot of fear and anxiety; however, we are trying our best to avoid that. It’s just really important for us to stay informed, right?” said Alejandra Echeverria, who works with the immigration advocacy group Puente.
But if protests in the Valley turned chaotic, could President Donald Trump do here what he has done in LA?
Trump was able to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops by citing Title 10 of the US Code, which permits any president to use federal service members under certain conditions.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is suing the administration over this, arguing that the result of the order means it does not just apply to his state but allows the president to go into any state and do the same thing.
In a statement, a collection of Democratic governors, including Arizona’s Katie Hobbs, said: “President Trump’s move to deploy California’s National Guard is an alarming abuse of power."
But Arizona Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp fired back, saying, “Anyone who stands in the way is only enabling this insurrection to continue. Shame on Governor Hobbs for joining the woke mob.”
“Every time we’re asking individuals if you’re going to show up and protest, make sure to do it non-violently and make sure to stay peaceful. And if individuals are there to potentially cause harm, stay away from them,” said Patino.
ABC15 reached out to Governor Hobbs’s office as well as the Arizona attorney general; they both declined to comment on the situation in LA.
