TUCSON, AZ — Tucson city leaders warned Tuesday that federal National Guard forces could be sent to U.S. cities without state or local requests, and unveiled a precautionary plan to monitor, document and — if needed — take legal action should such troops appear in Tucson.
In a city news release, Mayor Regina Romero stressed that the National Guard is not currently deployed in Tucson but said federal moves in other cities have “spread fear and chaos.” “The actions that we’ve seen ICE take are hurting innocent people and not making us any safer,” Romero said. “The City of Tucson will prioritize community safety and protect the legal and constitutional rights of every Tucsonan regardless of status. I have directed staff to create an easy to use, easy to access informational website.”
City officials outlined how troops could lawfully be activated: under Title 32 by the governor for a state emergency; at the request of local authorities for search-and-rescue or civil support; or federally under Title 10 and the Insurrection Act. They also emphasized legal limits on what federally controlled troops may do under the Posse Comitatus Act.
According to the release, troops federalized under Title 10 are generally restricted from engaging in civilian law-enforcement activity, including:
- Pursuit, arrests or apprehension
- Traffic, crowd or riot control
- Interrogation
- Security patrols
- Search and seizure
- Evidence collection
City leadership says evidence from other cities suggests federalized forces have at times been encouraged to perform security, traffic and crowd-control activities that could violate those limits. As a result, Tucson’s Mayor and Council, City Manager’s Office, City Attorney, Tucson Police Department and Emergency Management Team have prepared a protocol to respond if the National Guard is activated by the president without requests from city or state officials.
Just last month, federal agents recently carried out large ICE operations across southern Arizona that resulted in 46 arrests, and during one Tucson action at a Taco Giro location Rep. Adelita Grijalva said she was pepper‑sprayed while approaching agents; KGUN 9 reported that officers used chemical agents to disperse a crowd and that the incident prompted sharp criticism from local leaders and calls for oversight.
The city plans to observe and document any troop activities that appear to overstep federal law, and said it is prepared to file legal challenges to “any improper troop deployment or activity,” pending authorization from the Mayor and Council.
The announcement comes amid a broader national debate about the limits of federal deployments on U.S. soil and the balance between public safety and civil liberties. For now, Tucson’s message is clear: there is no current National Guard presence in the city — but if federal troops arrive, Tucson will be watching closely, recording activity, informing the public and is prepared to challenge any violations in court.
