TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — With rising concerns about expanding ICE operations in Southern Arizona, some local businesses are preparing to turn agents away.
They keep whistles handy at Southern Blends Barbershop to whistle a warning that agents are near.
“I know their vehicles coming in and out. You know, we have a community chat. You know that we all let each other know that we're aware of when something's going on in the area.”
Adrian Quijada’s barbershop is in a shopping center in South Tucson. He says his shop’s only been open for seven months, just in time for increased immigration enforcement to trim his customer count even if the customers are United States citizens.
He says, “It's rough sometimes, but we do get our moments where we do have our rush, and then it's back and forth.”
Quijada says if ICE wanted to get into his shop, he would tell them the law says they have to show him a warrant signed by a judge but he’s not sure ICE would live up to that law.
At the Tucson Ward Six office, Councilmember Miranda Schubert makes cards available that outline someone’s rights if ICE agents want to get into a home or a business. She says the cards are not new. They have been there for many months but what is new is a surge of calls from worried Tucsonans.
“It's greatly increased, greatly increased. I would say in the recent weeks, the more incidents that we see locally, the more calls that we get. There's a direct correlation.”
Schubert says Tucsonans should know they are not alone–that they can draw strength from the community and do what they can to document it when someone’s rights are violated.
At Southern Blends Barbershop, Adrian Quijada says he’ll keep watching the parking lot and be ready to turn ICE away if agents show up without a judge’s warrant.
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Craig Smith is a reporter for KGUN 9. With more than 40 years of reporting in cities like Tampa, Houston and Austin, Craig has covered more than 40 Space Shuttle launches and covered historic hurricanes like Katrina, Ivan, Andrew and Hugo. Share your story ideas and important issues with Craig by emailing craig.smith@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
