Immigration agents deployed pepper spray against several Rapid Response observers in South Tucson Monday morning, where about four ICE vehicles had gathered at a Walgreens parking lot.
Volunteer observer Steven Davis said he was hit directly in the face by an agent's chemical spray, without prior warning, as he was observing and recording agents' interaction with observers and activists.
"He didn't even break stride. No commands, no 'get back,' nothing. Just boom," Davis said. "I was totally taken by surprise."
Earlier, the same agent had "come towards me a few times and I reminded him I had a legal right to record and observe, and he moved on," Davis said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to the Arizona Daily Star’s request for comment.
Immigration agents deployed pepper spray against several Rapid Response observers in South Tucson Monday morning, where about four ICE vehicles had gathered at a Walgreens parking lot.
In the video Davis shot of the incident, Davis is heard telling the agent, "I have a legal right to record you," before the agent hit Davis with the pepper spray while passing by.
Davis said he fell to the ground after he was sprayed, and other observers came to his aid with water and saline solution for his eyes.
"The pain is just excruciating. It’s like someone pouring fire on you," he said.
Rapid Response observers said they’d followed ICE vehicles, which had been circling the neighborhood, to the Walgreens on South Sixth Avenue and 29th Street. One observer told the Star some stood in front of ICE vehicles to try to prevent them from leaving.
"We got in their way so they couldn't leave the parking lot to continue kidnapping people," observer Gene Weir said in a written message Monday. Weir was also hit by pepper spray at the scene.
The use of pepper spray Monday was uncalled for, said Maru Carrasco, a long-time volunteer with Tucson's Rapid Response and human rights advocate.
"They (ICE agents) hate when we record. They're afraid we're gonna be able to see their faces and take them to court," she said. "We have whistles and we have our phones. That's all we have to defend ourselves and to defend our community."
South Tucson police eventually arrived and assisted ICE in clearing the area, and ICE then also left the neighborhood, Weir said.
"It's clear they only left after people resisted them," Weir wrote. "... When we come together like this, we are stronger."
Tucson's Rapid Response line, which receives reports of ICE activity to send legal observers, continues to receive a large number of calls daily, not only from people reporting suspected immigration enforcement activity, but also from desperate family members struggling to find loved ones who are in ICE custody, Carrasco said.
Observers try to respond quickly to reports of ICE activity, but many arrests have been carried out rapidly, before observers can arrive, volunteers say.
Volunteers are also receiving insulting prank calls and false reports, Carrasco said. "They want us to get tired," she said.
Nevertheless, more community groups are organizing "organically" to help support the immigrant community, she said.
"That's our main goal," she said. "I want them to know they are not alone. There's a lot of amazing people helping."
Davis said he's undeterred in his efforts to chronicle and bear witness to ICE activity in the community.
"It’s a marathon, not a sprint," he said.
