An Arizona group that empowers Hispanic communities is driving Tucsonans to the state capitol Tuesday to demand that  legislators put people over profits.

Living United for Change in Arizona is a member-based organization that fights for social, racial and economic justice. Tuesday’s event isn’t a protest, but a space for people to gather, recognize and celebrate efforts to create change. It will feature food, performances and a celebration of the group’s volunteer organizers. The event is one in a series that will continue with March’s Advocacy Day and in May, when the state will be finalizing the budget.

So far LUCHA has only filled about half of the seats on the 60-person bus, but organizers hope more people will join in their efforts to call attention to key issues the group is advocating for and against. 

Home to the state capitol, Phoenix is the fifth-largest city in the United States with Maricopa County voters turning out in November largely in support of President Donald Trump. 

But, “our state is more than Phoenix,” said Rocky Rivera, a Tucson-based organizer for LUCHA.

The lesser-populated Tucson was long known as a blue spot in the red state, a qualifier that’s visible in presidential election results. Tucson was one of only four counties carried by presidential candidate and vice president Kamala Harris.

Democrats also dominate the local political landscape in Tucson, from Tucson Mayor Regina Romero to its all-Democrat city council.

Hundreds of people took to the streets of Downtown Tucson on Inauguration Day to protest Trump’s return and his “millionaire agenda.”

That’s why LUCHA is bussing Tucsonans to Phoenix next week and encouraging people to register for the event and stand in solidarity with communities that will be impacted by new immigration orders and changes to path to citizenship.

“There's a lot of anxiety in the community over mass deportation,” Rivera said. “We're worried, we're scared, we're fearful, we want to see change. But yet, we want to sit in our comfort zone and stay home. We don't want to show up for our own selves. So if you're not going to do it for you, do it for your community or future generations.” 

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order rescinding policies put into place by former President Joe Biden that protected marginalized communities, the environment and public health, among other things. 

Elsa, who spoke to Tucson Spotlight before Trump’s inauguration, said that while she’ll be on the bus to Phoenix, she’s fearful of being at the forefront of advocating for her community.

Elsa is living in a state of limbo in which she’s not exactly undocumented, but she’s also not a U.S. citizen. Out of respect for Elsa's situation, Tucson Spotlight is not publishing her last name.

She said that she knows participating in the event will take a toll on her mental health, but she plans to go nonetheless.

“I just wish I felt more safe about it. If I was like a citizen, maybe I'd be more brave to do it, but right now I'm just so overwhelmed,” Elsa said. “When it comes to me being visible in public, I kind of fear for my life.”

She said she’s terrified of possible raids in Phoenix, but feels protected and excited by the number of people she expects to show up. 

Since the inauguration, Elsa has tried to remain indoors as much as possible, only going out for work and necessities. She used to shop at El Super in South Tucson, but has stopped going to the south side, due to fear of being pulled over or detained. 

“I really just wish that things were different,” she said. “I wish I didn't have to be scared to go outside, to live my life, that I didn't have to see all this violence in this country that calls itself the land of the free. I don't want to wake up scared anymore, but unfortunately, it is our reality, we just have to live with it and stay safe.”

The Laken Riley Act, passed bipartisanly by Congress, allows Homeland Security to detain migrants if they are charged with certain criminal offenses. While Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said he has no plans to enforce the law, Elsa is still concerned about  the potential impact.

“It’s  definitely been in the back of my mind,” Elsa said.”As a juvenile I committed petty crimes, as an adult I got a DUI very stupidly. It's not my character, but it's a scary thought, that because of a past mistake, something that I've rectified, I've changed, I'm going to be pointed out because of that.”

She and her partner, Luna, are now seriously contemplating moving back to Mexico, even though both women have been living in the U.S. since they were young children.

Both women have full-time jobs and volunteer with various community groups like Derechos Humanos and PANTERAS. 

Luna, who is on DACA, hopes that there won’t be any serious attacks on the program. But for now, the two are trying to stay safe. 

“I've seen the prosperity that happens if somebody's given a chance here,” LUCHA’s Rivera said. “We need to shift this narrative and shift this belief. It starts by bringing people's stories to the front.”

Susan Barnett is Deputy Editor of Tucson Spotlight and a graduate student at the University of Arizona. She previously worked for La Estrella de Tucson. Contact her at susan@tucsonspotlight.org.

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