Flagstaff officials have announced several new protocols on how the city interacts with federal agencies.
They include an online portal for residents to report contact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
City manager Joanne Keene says it is a response to public concern and is designed for non-emergencies.
Information collected could be used for further investigations but officials did not provide details.
Keene says the effort isn’t connected to a similar reporting portal set up earlier this year by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.
Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett says staff have been developing the new protocols since the deaths of two American citizens at the hands of federal immigration agents earlier this year.
“Watching what happened in Minneapolis was horrifying and immediately, all of us began talking about what we can do; how we can prevent something like that from happening here,” Daggett said during a city council meeting Tuesday.
She acknowledged what Flagstaff can do is limited by state statute.
Arizona’s SB 1070 law, which was approved by voters in 2010, blocks the city from preventing immigration authorities access to city parks and public facilities.
But Flagstaff officials say federal agents would need a judicial warrant to enter areas where the public isn’t normally allowed such as municipal offices and staff-only sections of city facilities.
The city also announced new guidelines for the use of city facilities by non-profit organizations or federal agencies. They state that requests to use facilities should be made to the city manager who can approve the use if it aligns with city goals and doesn't disrupt city operations or threaten public safety.
Flagstaff isn't the only Arizona city looking to update policies on interactions with federal agencies.
Tucson city officials put similar measures in place this week that require explicit permission from city officials before civil immigration authorities can make use of city-owned property.
According to the city officials, there have been no confirmed ICE operations in the city since the Trump administration ramped up immigration enforcement.
