Phoenix EDM scene organizes to support families harmed by ICE

On the orders of President Donald Trump and thanks to an increased budget from Congress, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – better known as ICE – is ramping up its mass deportation efforts.

In Phoenix, an increase in deportations of longstanding, law-abiding community members has motivated political organizers and Phoenix electronic music scene heads to team up in an effort to raise money for families impacted by the Trump administration’s mass deportations.

The spark was a yearslong friendship between Sebastian Del Portillo, a political organizer with Organized Power in Numbers, and Lyle Begiebing, a city planning professional who also moonlights as a DJ, producer and event planner. The two reconnected in June in the wake of ICE raids and made a plan to rally local businesses in a fundraising and public awareness effort under the banner of “Voices United Phoenix.”

Begiebing said he couldn’t stand “helpless on the sidelines” while seeing the Trump administration make increasingly fascist decisions.

“I wanted to do something about it and challenge others to stand up as well,” Begiebing told Phoenix New Times. “We were thinking about doing a fundraiser event and highlighting their amazing community work. But why just do a one-off event by ourselves when we have the reach, organizational aptitude and plethora of energized friends and partners in the business community?”

At least 35 organizations from Phoenix’s music, arts nightlife and bar scenes have joined on board to host events or help with the fundraiser – including Central Records, Lacuna, June Jam and Recess Phoenix. The groups have also organized a virtual local art auction to raise money. It runs through the end of the month and includes about a dozen works, including an 80-square-foot mural painting by local artist Tszabo.

“It’s been really cool that so much of the local music scene has been willing to throw down or put their name,” Del Portillo told New Times. “I think it shows such an awesome willingness to support people that are in our community. And I think that’s such an incredible contrast to what the federal regime would have you think – I think most people don’t want this to be happening.”

The campaign was built on Begiebing’s connections in Phoenix’s EDM scene.

“That is a lot of Lyle’s work and relationships in the art community,” Del Portillo said. “I feel like the EDM scene is kind of all about love and kindness. And so I think most of those folks are down to do something. A lot of these businesses aren’t really involved in the organizing side of things.”

Recent and upcoming events

The two-week fundraiser and awareness campaign is spearheaded by Del Portillo’s OPIN, stalwart community organizers Puente and Poder in Action, and MELT Fest – a nascent local festival being held in September outside Flagstaff, of which Begiebing is a lead organizer. Funds raised will benefit the Emergency Worker Legal Defense Fund. So far, Del Portillo said they have raised $24,000 for the defense fund and hope to make it to $30,000 by the end of the fundraiser – all of which will go to legal fees and mutual aid.

“It’s case by case and up to the family how much they want to spend on legal fees or let the deportation happen and support that person when they get to the country they’re being sent to,” Del Portillo told New Times. “”Whatever the family feels is more important, because people are just being dropped off.”

On Aug. 15, MELT threw a pre-party for its late September festival at Walter Studios in which all DJs donated their pay for the night to the defense fund.

The campaign’s final events will be held on Aug. 29 and 30 at Linger Longer Lounge, followed by a final capstone event on Aug. 31 at Central Records, where the art auction will end in person.

MELT Fest will take place September 26 to 28 at Playa Ponderosa, an event venue and camping space in the woods outside Flagstaff. It will feature over 130 local Phoenix musicians, DJs, artists, speakers, panelists and wellness teachers.

“As we’ve been organizing the festival and talking to artists throughout the Valley over these past six months, everyone has been feeling discouraged and helpless by the daily headlines about the direction of this country,” Beigebing told New Times.

In the last seven months, Phoenix New Times counted about 60 ICE sightings in the Valley that have been publicly reported by community groups. The actual number is likely bigger.

Groups like Puente and the Borderlands Resource Initiative have worked to collect and disseminate information about ICE sightings to residents, posting about sightings on social media accounts, including the Phoenix Rapid Response account on Instagram. An organizer with Puente told New Times the groups have trained at least 1,500 volunteers to take calls on the groups’ Migra Watch hotline to confirm ICE sightings.