Mesa, Arizona — Newly released 911 audio from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Mesa has intensified scrutiny over overcrowding and use-of-force practices inside temporary detention centers used during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations.
The call, obtained by the Arizona Mirror through a public records request, captured an ICE officer requesting emergency medical assistance after agents used pepper spray on a group of 47 detainees held inside a confined room at the Arizona Removal Operations Coordination Center near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. During the call, the officer reported that one detainee appeared to be suffering a seizure following the incident.
ICE later stated the pepper spray was deployed after detainees allegedly ignored repeated commands and engaged in aggressive behavior, including kicking doors and banging on windows. The agency said one detainee experiencing an asthma episode was transported to a hospital and later released. ICE denied evidence connecting the medical emergency directly to pepper spray exposure.
Records reviewed by the Arizona Mirror showed the facility, designed to hold 157 detainees temporarily, housed more than 330 people on the day of the incident. Fire department reports described detainees shackled in breezeways while staff attempted to ventilate the building.
Arizona Democratic Reps. Yassamin Ansari and Adelita Grijalva criticized ICE following oversight visits to the facility, raising concerns over overcrowding, medical treatment, and increased use-of-force incidents at Arizona detention centers.
Data reviewed by reporters indicated ICE use-of-force incidents in Arizona facilities have sharply increased during 2026 compared to previous years.
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