Immigrant communities and their allies have been targeted, attacked and energized in the past year. They have met the Trump administration’s crackdown with resistance in the streets, developing or expanding mutual aid networks, running legal campaigns, and growing ICE watch and rapid response groups across many cities — along with myriad other forms of community resistance.

Southern Arizona has a long history of such community defense, from early Indigenous resistance to Spanish colonizers, to the Sanctuary Movement protecting migrants from Central America in the 1980s, and the rise of groups like No More Deaths and Derechos Humanos in the 2000s.

Today, building on that history, old and new groups alike are stepping up to keep themselves and their neighbors safe, while working toward a more just society where the rights to dignity, security and movement are protected.

Much of that immigrant rights work is increasingly organized by the LGBTQ+ community.

“Queer and trans communities have created structures of collective care in the face of these systems that fail us,” said Ren Manning, co-director of Borderlinks.

Borderlinks, in addition to offering popular education about the borderlands to students and religious groups from around the country, has become a hub for immigrant rights groups in Tucson — a place where people meet, strategize and support one another.

“From my experience as a trans person, Jewish person, organizer and educator over this last decade,” Manning said, “I know deep in my bones that our collective safety comes from solidarity, not violence, walls or militarism.”

Here is a roundup of some of those groups:

Borderlinks

For 35 years, Borderlinks has worked to build movements for migrant justice, primarily through “popular educational programs which center direct lived experience of local organizers and communities impacted by border militarization,” Manning said.

The organization also participates in multiple coalitions on local campaigns and has expanded its role in recent years.

Mariposas Sin Fronteras

This organization supports migrants, focusing on LGBTQ+ people, especially transgender women of color fleeing persecution or violence.

One organizer, Jocelyn, said “accompaniment” is central to their work. That includes emotional support, legal orientation and visitation for people in immigration detention centers. When individuals are released, the group helps with reintegration, including temporary housing.

Jocelyn said the work supporting migrants and fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and racial justice is deeply intertwined.

“When we defend immigrant rights, we’re also defending queer rights to live with dignity, security and freedom,” Jocelyn said. “Our history is deeply connected with the fight for racial justice.”

Pima Resists ICE (PRICE)

Pima Resists ICE was formed in October 2025 as a coalition of organizations and advocates in Southern Arizona. The group focuses on preventing the opening of an ICE detention center in Marana.

PRICE grew out of relationships formed through Derechos Humanos, as organizers recognized a need for more political advocacy, particularly in northwest Tucson and Marana. When news of a potential new detention center emerged, organizers mobilized quickly.

Coalición de Derechos Humanos

A grassroots organization promoting the human and civil rights of migrants, Derechos Humanos works against “the militarization of our southern border home” and combats discrimination and human rights abuses affecting both citizens and noncitizens.

The group’s Colectivo de Familias Arcoiris initiative provides community education on gender and sexual diversity, focusing on the needs of Latino LGBTQ+ youth within Spanish-speaking immigrant communities in Tucson and Southern Arizona.

Tucson Community Rapid Response

The Tucson Community Rapid Response network operates a 24-hour hotline (520-221-4077) for immigrants facing arrest by local law enforcement or federal immigration agents. The group provides a way to respond to fear and anxiety in the community.

After receiving reports of enforcement activity, trained observers go to the scene to document interactions. Following arrests or detention, volunteers offer support to families.

According to its website, the network aims to mobilize the broader Tucson community to serve as witnesses to immigration enforcement actions, uphold immigrants’ rights, and connect affected residents with resources.