TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Members of the Tucson community gathered outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office on Tucson's South side.
The group brought candles and flowers and held up signs saying "stop the kidnappings" and "protect your neighbors."
Organizers say that they were there to honor the thousands of people in ICE custody.
A report from nonprofit non-partisan research group Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University says that number is at 58,766 people in detention as of Sept. 7.
“In this fast paced society that we live in where everyone is from point A to point Z in half a second, it’s easy to wash these things away," said Megan Martin, an organizer with Desert Rising in Tucson.
Though the vigil remained peaceful, Tucson Police Department seemed to be prepared for a different ending.
Police tape lined the Airport Business Plaza— the strip mall in front of the ICE office.
KGUN 9 watched several police vehicles and two buses pull into the ICE field office's parking lot ahead of the protest.
In June, police and protesters clashed outside the same ICE field office, with protesters throwing projectiles and using makeshift shields to push forward.
Tucson Police told KGUN that three people were arrested that day. Sept. 19 police announced the arrests of two more people connected to the protest.
Organizers of the Friday night vigil say that regardless of police presence, they will continue to speak out against ICE and for their neighbors.
“We hope that we can continue to show that this is something important," Martin said. "That we’re not going to stop showing up for our community members, that we will continue to be eyes on ICE.”
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
