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Community Transparency Initiative (CTI)

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The Community Transparency Initiative (CTI) was established under the direction of the Mayor and City Council to provide a structured, transparent approach to documenting federal immigration enforcement activities within Phoenix and assessing their impacts on residents and City operations. This page provides information about the initiative, City actions, and available resources.

Questions & Answers

What is the Community Transparency Initiative (CTI)?

The Community Transparency Initiative is a City of Phoenix effort designed to increase transparency, protect residents’ civil rights, and document the local impacts of federal immigration enforcement activities.

Why did the City create the CTI?

The Mayor and City Council directed staff to create the initiative after residents across Phoenix expressed growing concern about how federal law enforcement activities affect individuals, families, and neighborhoods. The CTI was created to ensure the City can document community concerns, track impacts on City services, provide clear information to residents, strengthen civil rights protections, and improve communication and transparency.

How was the CTI plan created?

On February 10, 2026, the Mayor and Phoenix City Council directed staff to explore, develop and present a framework for a Community Transparency Initiative and return within 45 days. The directive included six areas of focus:

  1. Document and preserve information on federal immigration enforcement activities within Phoenix city limits that may violate criminal statutes and/or individual civil rights with the intent to investigate crimes committed by federal agents who act outside the scope of their duties. 
  2. Collect data on impacts to City services as a result of federal immigration enforcement. 
  3. Identify potential partnerships and volunteer opportunities to facilitate the initiative. 
  4. Ensure multilingual communication channels across City services and resources. 
  5. Implement training for City employees who may encounter federal enforcement actions, including protocols related to administrative and judicial warrants. 
  6. Develop options for the council to consider relating to outside organizations, staging in our parks and preserve and other city property. 

During the 45 day window, the City Manager’s Office worked with numerous City departments to create the framework for each item. The Mayor, City Council, and City staff have held community meetings, listening sessions, and discussions with the Human Relations Commission. Public feedback continues to shape the implementation of the CTI.

How can community members report concerns about federal immigration enforcement?

The City is implementing a new process using the Sivil complaint portal, a multilingual platform administered by the Office of Accountability and Transparency (OAT). Community members can submit complaints about alleged civil rights violations or potential criminal activity by federal agents acting outside their authority.

What happens after a complaint is submitted?

The Phoenix Police Department’s Special Investigations Detail (SID) will review the complaint to determine whether state or local may have been violated. The results of the investigation may be forwarded to the appropriate agency for criminal charges, forwarded to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, and/or shared with the relevant federal agency with a request for further investigation. All reports will be preserved for potential future civil action and for public records requests.

How is the City tracking the impact of federal enforcement on City services?

The Police Department, Fire Department, Community Assistance Program, and OAT have established a tracking system to document staff time, call responses, and use of City resources during incidents involving federal law enforcement. This helps the City understand operational impacts and plan accordingly.

How is the City ensuring information is accessible to all residents?

The City is expanding multilingual communication across all CTI-related materials. This includes a new Know Your Rights information webpage with resources for residents, businesses, schools, and employers. The City’s website can translate information into 129 different languages. The CTI Administrative Regulation is available in both English and Spanish, as well as Pashto, Swahili and Somali.

What is the City doing to ensure City employees are prepared in the event federal enforcement actions take place at City facilities?

The City is developing training for staff on protocols should staff members encounter federal enforcement officials. Resources include:

These tools help ensure consistent and legally sound responses across all City departments.

What steps is the City taking to restrict outside organizations from staging in parks and preserves and other City property?

As part of the CTI, the Phoenix City Council approved a new Administrative Regulation establishing standards for the use, access, and designation of City owned and City controlled facilities. The City reserves the right to determine what uses are appropriate at each facility. The Administrative Regulation establishes requirements including signage limiting or prohibiting the staging, deployment, or operational use of City property by law enforcement except as expressly authorized by the City Manager or their designee.

How do federal and state laws impact the City’s ability to restrict the use of City property for federal enforcement activities?

The City is bound by federal and state laws. This includes A.R. S. 11-1051 (A) which states, “No official or agency of this state or a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state may limit or restrict the enforcement of federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal law.” This restriction limits the ability of the City of Phoenix. This state law creates a different legal environment than what might exist in other cities and jurisdictions outside Arizona. 

What is the new Administrative Regulation about City property?

A proposed Administrative Regulation establishes standards for the use of City-owned and City-controlled property. It protects public use of City facilities, ensures resources are used for authorized purposes, requires annual inventories and Access Control Plans, and limits staging or operational use of City property by law enforcement unless authorized by the City Manager. The regulation would sunset in 2029 unless extended by the City Council.

What are the financial impacts of the CTI?

On March 4, 2026, the City Council authorized $1 million for legal services related to federal actions affecting Phoenix. Staff continue to monitor additional financial impacts as the initiative progresses.

What should I do if an emergency situation is happening right now?

If a community member believes a crime is actively occurring or wants to verify the identity of a law enforcement officer, they should call 911 immediately.

What about the airport? Can the City limit actions by federal agents at Sky Harbor?

The City of Phoenix and its Aviation Department cannot interfere with law enforcement operations by federal agencies. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a public-use airport subject to federal regulation. Read more frequently asked questions regarding airport policies. 

Document Library

Administrative Regulation