Southern Az workshops aim to combat ICE, Border Patrol profiling against Native people

A Tucson nonprofit is holding informational meetings for indigenous people in Southern Arizona to ensure their safety if they encounter federal agents.

Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras, or Indigenous Alliance Without Borders, held the first “Know Your Rights” event Friday evening at the San Xavier Co-Op. 

Presenters said it was important for anyone who had their rights violated by an agent from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement or any other federal law enforcement agency to document their experience and speak out, but not at the expense of their physical safety.

JS Torres, the group’s program manager, said it was the first of three or four similar sessions planned throughout the region. 

“We do need to know our rights as indigenous people. They’re racially profiling us,” she said, citing a September U.S. Supreme Court ruling that enables immigration agents to use “apparent ethnicity” as a factor in determining reasonable suspicion — a practice now dubbed “Kavanaugh stops” after the justice who penned the decision.

“We just want everyone to feel empowered,” she said.

During the inaugural meeting, attended by several dozen people, presenters discussed the history of the U.S.-Mexico border, which divides the Tohono O’odham Nation in Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora, and the policies that require federal government agencies to consult with sovereign tribal governments when before taking any actions that would impact those communities.

Several people there spoke of their experiences with harassment and intimidation by Border Patrol agents over the years.

Torres said the group decided to organize the meetings after an indigenous person in the community told them that they had been unlawfully detained by ICE agents early in 2025.

That person’s account was shared anonymously on Alianza’s social media platforms. 

As of Friday, no other meetings had been scheduled, Torres said, but Alianza members were working to secure venues for another meeting in Tucson and one in Sells. The group is also considering hosting a meeting around Phoenix for Yaqui tribal members who live in the area.

More resources for those who encounter federal law enforcement agents are available through the Scholarships A-Z nonprofit and the Native American Rights Fund, organizers said.