ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations signs lease for office space in Flagstaff

PHOENIX — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO) has secured a lease for new office space in Flagstaff, prompting city leaders to call for transparency regarding the agency’s plans for northern Arizona.

The City of Flagstaff and the Flagstaff Police Department confirmed Thursday that federal immigration authorities signed a lease for suites 150 and 160 at 1585 S. Plaza Way, located about a mile west of the Northern Arizona University campus.

City officials said in a statement they have contacted federal agencies to learn what is planned.

“Flagstaff is a community built on strong relationships, and we expect cooperation, transparency and open communication from our federal government as this situation develops,” the city said in a press release.

Local officials emphasized that while the lease is for private office space, no requests have been made to use city-owned property for ICE operations. If such a request is made, the city manager will review the request under a recently established directive governing the use of city property.

Flagstaff leaders are encouraging residents with questions about the agency’s mission or specific operations to contact ICE directly, noting that the federal government is the appropriate authority to address ICE’s activity in the area. The agency’s Arizona outreach can be reached at Phoenix.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov.

The city also requested that ICE share “accurate and timely information” directly with the public to keep the community informed of its presence.

ICE has not yet publicly detailed how many employees will be based at the Plaza Way location or when the office will be fully operational.

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