Dear {{first_name | Reader}},
This spring, our reporters found as many as 777 people crammed into a Mesa ICE facility built to hold 157. They were sleeping on concrete floors, and one man was held for 18 days instead of the 12 hours people are supposed to be held there.
Donald Trump’s government said everything was fine. ICE's own data said otherwise.
No one would have known if the Arizona Mirror hadn't been there. Our reporting sent members of Congress to that facility for surprise inspections and forced answers the agency never wanted to give.
That's what patriotism actually looks like. Not a slogan — the hard work of making sure a free people know what their government is doing in their name.
The Arizona Mirror is an independent, nonprofit newsroom with no paywalls and no subscription fees. We believe an informed Arizona is a better Arizona, and in 2026 that belief has taken us places the powerful would rather we didn't go:
We exposed a Mesa ICE facility operating at nearly five times its capacity — and refused to back down when federal officials called our reporting false.
We revealed a hidden network of federal surveillance cameras — some disguised as highway equipment — stretching 100 miles north of the border.
We cut through the resurrected lies about Arizona's 2020 election with something their loudest promoters rarely offer: the facts.
This is expensive, unglamorous work. It takes fights for public records, data analysis and reporters who don't look away. And every word of it is free to read, because we believe that accountability shouldn't sit behind a paywall.
That's only possible because of readers like you. Your gift is what keeps our reporters showing up when powerful people would prefer an empty chair.
If you believe a strong, independent local press is one of the most patriotic institutions we have, stand with us today.
An informed Arizona is a better Arizona. Thank you for helping us keep it that way.
Jim Small
Editor in Chief
Arizona Mirror
P.S. — When we reported that a Mesa ICE facility was holding people on concrete floors, DHS called it a lie. Our data proved it wasn't. That's the difference newsrooms like ours make — but only if we can keep the lights on. Chip in today and keep fearless Arizona journalism free for everyone.