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Kristi Noem Not Welcome: Arizonans Protest DHS Secretary's Stay at Arizona Grand Resort and Spa
- Borderlands Resource Initiative
- Feb 4
- 3 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2026
Contact: Beth Strano, Borderlands Resource Initiative | contact@borderlandsinitiative.org
Phoenix, Arizona- Approximately 100 Arizonans gathered outside the Arizona Grand Resort & Spa on Tuesday evening to protest the hotel’s decision to welcome DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and several ICE agents as guests, just 10 days after a Border Patrol agent fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse in Minneapolis. Noem was meant to stay for one night in the hotel; she arrived in Phoenix earlier in the day on February 3rd, and traveled to the US-Mexico border on February 4th. Word that Noem was in town spread quickly among Phoenix area community organizations, including Puente Human Rights Movement, Borderlands Resource Initiative, Progress Arizona, and others. The protestors demanded the hotel stop hosting Noem, highlighting the role that Arizona businesses can play in protecting local families.
“Last Friday, January 30th, at least 15 businesses across the Valley stayed closed as part of a one-day nationwide strike demanding that ICE stay out of Arizona. That strike showcased the growing consciousness among local businesses about the unique power they have in the movement to protect our community from heavy-handed and indiscriminate immigration enforcement. If restaurants, hotels, and other businesses refuse to serve ICE agents, that makes it more difficult for them to keep breaking the law in Arizona and elsewhere. That also makes it more difficult for them to create Minneapolis levels of terror here in Phoenix,” said Beth Strano, Executive Director of Borderlands Resource Initiative. “History will also remember which businesses stood up to the Trump administration’s racist policies and violent overreach,” she added.
Protestors also criticized DHS for spending taxpayer money on such lavish accommodations at the luxury Arizona Grand for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and her agents.
One protestor held up a sign calling for "Noem and her lawless thugs” to get out of Arizona; another featured printed pictures of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good. Protestors chanted “ICE out!” and blew whistles, a non-violent way that communities across the US are alerting their neighbors to the presence of ICE. Passing cars honked in solidarity.
Arizona State Senator Catherine Miranda (LD11) addressed protestors, relaying a conversation she had with hotel management earlier in the evening. “Kristi Noem has incited violence throughout our whole country. Why are you hosting her in my district?” she asked the hotel manager. She added, “I’m your Senator, I represent this building, and I’m trying to keep my community safe. You [Arizona Grand Resort & Spa] have incited fear and anger with who you’re hosting.”
The protest outside the South Mountain resort coincided with another anti-ICE action across the Valley. In Surprise, Arizona, over 1,000 Arizonans showed up to a City Council meeting to demand that the city step in to prohibit ICE from converting their newly-purchased $70 million warehouse into a detention facility. In all corners of the city, Phoenix residents are united in their demand to keep ICE out of Arizona.
Community Alert for Immigrants: Know Your Rights, Prepare, and Connect to Local Groups
Create an emergency plan with your family. Store important documents and legal contact info in a safe, accessible place.
Do not open your door or vehicle to ICE or unidentified law enforcement unless they show a warrant signed by a judge. Demand to see it through a window or under the door.
Bring a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident with you to immigration check-ins or court appearances whenever possible.
Call the local Defense Hotline at (480) 506-7437 if ICE is at your door, if you are stopped, or if you need accompaniment to court or an appointment.
Share Know Your Rights Red Cards and the hotline number with neighbors, co-workers, and loved ones. You can request local red card templates for printing by contacting Borderlands Resource Initiative.
Join a Rapid Response Training through Puente Human Rights Movement or Borderlands Resource Initiative to be part of organized community defense.
Staying informed, prepared, and connected is an act of resistance. This moment calls for vigilance, not panic. We continue to protect one another, and we move forward together.
Borderlands Resource Initiative is a community-based organization advocating for justice, dignity, and a society transformed by the strength and resilience of immigrants and migrants.
