Protests and riots against immigration enforcement have been taking over Phoenix streets these recent weeks, similar in their disruptive scope to those across the nation.
One young couple are leading the charge on these protests: Alexia Isais and Jordan Napier. The pair are organizers with the Phoenix chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), an entity responsible for many of recent weeks’ anti-immigration enforcement riots.
Viral videos show both Isais and Napier leading crowds in chants as they march along Phoenix streets and gather outside the state capitol.
PSL has ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The national organization harbors connections with Neville Roy Singham and the various initiatives he funds. Singham is a CCP-affiliated major financier and tech entrepreneur — connections explored at length by a number of investigative outlets.
Both Isais and Napier are self-described communists, as reflected by their social media handles: “Comrade Alexia” and “Marxist Jordan.” The two refer to one another — and their peers — as “comrade.”
Graduated with my best friend, best boyfriend and best comrade I could ever ask for by my side. pic.twitter.com/P5RfmqaUNT
— WE FIGHT BACK, M. Ed. (@comradealexia) May 7, 2024
Isais teaches seventh graders at Vista Verde Middle School within the Paradise Valley Unified School District. Before she was a rabble-rousing teacher, Isais was a rabble-rousing Arizona State University (ASU) student.
(Editor’s Note: Isais taught at Vista Verde Middle School before it was closed down by the Paradise Valley Unified School District last year, according to Mat Droge, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Paradise Valley Unified School District.)
Isais honed her activist skills while at ASU.
In early 2019, her first year at university, Isais was front and center in protests against Phoenix police following the shooting of a 14-year-old burglar carrying a fake gun.
Later that year in a different group — the ASU chapter of the anti-immigration enforcement group No Mas Muertes — Isais was again featured protesting against the imprisonment of ASU faculty associate Scott Warren, charged with aiding illegal aliens.
In the days leading up to and on Independence Day in 2020, Isais was an ASU student senator when she earned more media attention for wishing “Death to America” and praising the Chinese Communist Party. At the time, Isais was also the president of Students for Socialism ASU.
— WE FIGHT BACK, M. Ed. (@comradealexia) July 4, 2020
Several months later, ASU’s student-run paper, The State Press, fired Isais from her columnist role for different tweets — ones expressing glee at the prospect of murdered police officers.
“Did anyone else get a blue alert??? Apparently thts [sic] when law enforcement is in danger … the serotinin [sic] is kicking in,” said Isais. “Sorry but police aren’t actually human … they can all go fall into the abyss and society would be better without them.”
The “blue alert” in reference was a mass text alerting to danger for police officers.
Napier has a more subtle online presence and less of a storied media footprint than his beau. He keeps his personal Instagram private and his X account hasn’t seen action since last fall, but he does appear frequently in PSL content.
In a recent Instagram reel for PSL, Napier led the anti-immigration enforcement crowds as they marched through the streets.
“We will not stop until Donald Trump and his billionaire agenda stops separating our families and stops separating and tearing apart our communities,” said Napier.
In a protest last week in front of the Arizona state capitol, Napier amped up hundreds in a crowd with chants to protest immigration enforcement.
“No one is illegal! Viva Mexico!” shouted Napier.
The more time I spend with my comrades, struggling against the same enemy and fighting for the same cause, the more I realize that our enemies don't stand a chance. My comrades work their asses off and that is why I KNOW that the people will see revolution in our lifetime.
— Jordan (@MarxistJordan) March 10, 2024
Protests against immigration enforcement is just the latest in the resistance efforts arranged by Isais and Napier. The two have also led protests against U.S. siding with Israel while praising Hamas in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In these times, comradery & revolutionary optimism should be stronger than ever to fight for a better world than the one we've got. pic.twitter.com/IZFkMaC12x
— WE FIGHT BACK, M. Ed. (@comradealexia) January 14, 2024
PSL Phoenix organized protests for Sunday, Jan. 26 at West Indian School Road; Friday, Jan. 31 at the Arizona State Capitol; Saturday, Feb. 1 at South Avenida del Yaqui; Sunday, Feb. 2 at South Avenida del Yaqui; and Wednesday, Feb. 5 at South Avenida del Yaqui. PSL Phoenix also disclosed it would post about “immediate public mobilizations” to its Telegram channel “We Fight Back Network.”
These spontaneous demonstrations have presented trouble for public safety, since law enforcement can’t prepare for them in advance.
Late last week and over the weekend, protestors obstructed traffic as they took over roadways.
Obstructing traffic is against the law, though it currently carries only misdemeanor charges. Republicans attempted to make the crime a felony in 2023 with SB 1073, but Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed the legislation.
During the protests on Sunday and Monday, the protesting began to devolve into rioting: obstructing traffic, setting off fireworks, speeding and doing doughnuts in cars, climbing traffic signals, breaching the state capitol, setting fires, and damaging police property.
One woman, Shayla Fermic, was arrested for breaking a police drone used to give orders to rioters as they set off fireworks and entered the state capitol. One still-unidentified suspect stole a police cruiser and abandoned it. Another still-unidentified suspect kicked in the windshield of a different police cruiser.
Glendale police reported damages to five patrol cars: broken and shattered windows, slashed tires, and damaged body panels.
PSL also planned protests for Friday, Feb. 7 starting at Valley Coffee Company on West Portland Street; both Saturday, Feb. 8 and Sunday, Feb. 9 starting at El Cafezito on West Indian School Road; Saturday, Feb. 8 starting at Marivue Park on West Osborn Road.
Before their planned protest on Friday, PSL Phoenix is hosting a recruitment effort at Eastlake Park. On Feb. 12 at that same location, PSL Phoenix will feature its national presidential candidate Claudia de la Cruz.
This article was updated on 2/10/24