Tucson migrant advocates have launched a community-built map to document immigration enforcement across the city as arrests surge under President Donald Trump's mass deportation initiative. The Tucson Migra Map allows people to record and visualise activities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies, revealing patterns while raising questions about safety and transparency.
Activist Lucia Vindiola, who runs the mutual aid group La Bodega, said the map highlights the disruption to families. 'We are seeing firsthand the impact on families, limiting them from shopping for groceries and supplies,' she said. Immigration-related detentions in Tucson have more than tripled in fiscal year 2025, rising from fewer than 200 in late 2024 to over 800 by June 2025.
The map was created by geographer Dugan Meyer, a PhD student at the University of Arizona who volunteers with the Tucson Rapid Response network. Data is drawn from spreadsheets maintained since January 2025, tracking enforcement actions such as raids, vehicle stops and aerial surveillance. Incidents are vetted and classified as 'confirmed' or 'credible but unconfirmed' based on evidence, such as photographs or witness testimony.
Hundreds of people, including non-citizens, have contributed eyewitness accounts. Information also comes from local news, social media and WhatsApp groups. Rapid Response member Steven Davis, who documented five incidents, said the map brings hidden activity to light. 'The value of the observation is that we take this out of the shadows and get it out into the public,' he said.
As of late April, the team had reviewed around 562 incidents, with about 300 included. Meyer acknowledged the map is an undercount but hopes it will become a platform for public information. 'It really helps us think about directly where enforcement is happening,' he said.
