Tucson Activists Build Public Map to Expose ICE Raids and Surveillance

Under President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown, Tucson has seen a sharp surge in ICE arrests, more than tripling from under 200 to over 800 in less than a year. In response, local advocates have launched the Tucson Migra Map, a community-built platform that tracks and displays federal immigration enforcement activities across the city.

The map collects data from eyewitness reports, local news, social media, and activist networks like Tucson Rapid Response and Migra Watch. Incidents range from raids and vehicle stops to aerial surveillance, each vetted for credibility and classified as “confirmed” or “credible but unconfirmed.” This rigorous verification process is overseen by volunteers including geographer and University of Arizona Ph.D. student Dugan Meyer, who stresses the project’s role as community research and accountability.

“This map pulls ICE activity out of the shadows,” says Rapid Response member Steven Davis, who has personally documented multiple enforcement actions, including being pepper sprayed by federal agents. “It makes visible what ICE does behind the scenes, showing the real impact on families who can’t even safely shop for groceries.”

The map highlights enforcement hotspots like El Super grocery store and certain apartment complexes heavily targeted by ICE, illustrating how immigrant communities bear the brunt of these raids. It also includes police and detention facilities and flight paths of surveillance aircraft, painting a comprehensive picture of federal operations in the area.

This initiative follows the shuttering of previous national trackers like People over Papers and ICEBlock, which were taken down after federal pressure citing officer safety concerns. Meyer hopes constitutional free speech protections will safeguard the Tucson Migra Map and inspire similar efforts nationwide.

Unlike real-time alert systems, the map reports enforcement actions after they occur, serving as a public archive rather than a warning tool. “You could get the same data through a Freedom of Information Act request,” Davis notes, “but this map makes it accessible and understandable for our community.”

The Tucson Migra Map stands as a defiant act of transparency amid escalating immigration enforcement, empowering residents to document abuses and hold federal agencies accountable for their disruptive and often brutal tactics.