Leo Solis, 21, started getting involved in politics when he joined the student group Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán (MEChA) in college.
In the club, which promotes Chicano empowerment, he learned about Proposition 314. The immigration-related measure—which opponents dubbed “SB 1070 2.0” because of its similarities to the state’s controversial “show me your papers” law enacted in 2010—appeared on Arizona’s 2024 ballot.
Solis said some of his friends planned to not vote in the election, but he convinced them it was worth it. In the end, however, voters passed Prop 314.
“ Even though the outcome wasn’t what we expected,” Solis told Rent Check PHX, “I was still able to say, at least we were part of the system, at least we can’t say we didn’t do anything.”
The experience led Solis to get involved with local social justice advocacy group Poder in Action. When the group presented the opportunity for members to lead neighborhood defense committees—grassroots initiatives where neighbors build support networks so they can rely less on the government and police—Solis volunteered.
Building a neighborhood group
Solis joined three other Poder in Action members to start the Lookout Mountain Neighborhood Defense Committee, which is Poder’s neighborhood group for north Phoenix. There are also groups in south and west Phoenix.
Leading up to their first event this past March, Solis and the co-leaders created an Instagram account and advertised on fliers they distributed at local businesses and markets.
The event, which was held at a member’s home, offered free pizza, child care, and a “know your rights” training.
In May, they held a Migra Watch training, which taught community members how to report US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity to Puente’s hotline. ICE has arrested thousands of people across the US, with the largest share of detainees having no criminal record. Detainees and government officials who have visited ICE detention centers have reported poor conditions, including overcrowding and lack of proper medical care—and at least 17 people have died in ICE custody so far this year.
“ We don’t know if everybody had learned about this stuff for the first time or if they’re going to be able to use this in the real world,” Solis said, “but as long as one person is able to leave our meetings with something new that they learned, we’re pretty content.”
However, Solis said, the group wasn’t formed just to be a counterweight to ICE.
”Our main genesis is that we just want our neighborhood, our neighbors to be more connected,” Solis said.
Strengthening social fabric
Lookout Mountain Neighborhood Defense Committee members have started talking about other ways to support neighbors, including building a community garden or setting up a community fridge to help people experiencing food insecurity. The group also hosts a book club, with picks focused on social justice.
“ In my personal opinion, being more class conscious and realizing how much the system affects us on a personal level is important to discuss, especially in relationship to building these future projects,” Solis said.
Aside from trainings, the Lookout Mountain Neighborhood Defense Committee has hosted social potlucks where leaders encourage discussion about issues facing the community.
“ For our last social event, we had everybody get up, talk about their views. Like, do they agree? Like, is ICE, you know, a malignant force?” Solis said. “Things like that, just so we could promote discussion, because even though it’s a potluck … we still want people to leave with some knowledge.”
Members have also discussed their experiences with housing in Phoenix, including struggling to afford to rent or facing homelessness, Solis said.
Solis said membership has been growing steadily, with around 20 people joining the last event.
“We’ve had lots of success with members coming in, new members rolling in, as well as activating these members to be more involved with the community,” he said. “We’ve had some of these people make comments for city council hearings.”
Find more information about the Lookout Mountain Neighborhood Defense Committee and their upcoming events on Instagram. For more information on Poder in Action, check out their website, Facebook, or Instagram.
