WASHINGTON – A proposed immigration detention center in Surprise, Arizona, is causing significant unrest among local residents and officials. The facility, planned for a converted warehouse, has sparked widespread concern.
Tuesday’s Surprise City Council meeting saw over a thousand residents voicing their disapproval of the planned 1,500-bed center.
In response, Rep. Paul Gosar, a Republican from Bullhead City, whose district includes the site, addressed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a direct letter on Wednesday. Gosar, known for his strong support of former President Donald Trump, emphasized the need for “transparency” and collaboration with the local community, which had been left out of the loop.
The $70 million purchase of the 418,400-square-foot warehouse by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was revealed by the Arizona Republic on January 29, six days post-finalization. This development caught both Gosar and locals by surprise.
Gosar expressed that issues such as infrastructure, traffic, emergency services, environmental impact, and public safety required thorough evaluation, stating, “These are not anti-illegal immigration concerns; they are common-sense expectations of transparency, planning, and accountability.”
The DHS has been acquiring facilities across the country to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in line with Trump’s immigration policies.
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During the council meeting, resident Jon Mannella criticized ICE’s focus on detaining “the worst of the worst,” questioning the logic of housing them in the community. He noted that other cities have successfully opposed similar facilities.
Local governments, however, hold limited power in preventing federal facility purchases or dictating their use. Surprise Council member Chris Judd remarked, “The problem is, we don’t have anywhere near the power that our residents wish we had.”
According to the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, federal entities can bypass local zoning laws, though they often choose to engage with local authorities, explained Linus Kafka, a Tucson zoning hearing officer and law professor.
The facility’s location in an industrial zone is less than a half-mile from the nearest residences, with Dysart High School slightly over a mile away. The school has a significant Hispanic student population, raising concerns among locals.
Alexandria Moen, a 2022 graduate, expressed fears of increased profiling and police presence, saying, “The children are terrified. These children are … our duty to protect.”
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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