Documents confirm it will be retrofitted as an ICE detention center, potentially housing 7,000 to 10,000 detainees for months at a time — numbers much higher than previously known.
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security purchased a massive warehouse in Surprise for over $70 million, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has plans for a 1,500-bed processing facility.
The acquisition of the warehouse near Waddell and Dysart roads comes as immigration enforcement efforts continue to ramp up across the country. According to records, the Rockefeller Group sold the more than 400,000-square-foot facility to DHS on Jan. 23.
In a statement, an ICE spokesperson credited funding from Trump's spending bill for the detention-space expansion efforts.
The city of Surprise says it has not been contacted by the Department of Homeland Security nor any other federal agency about the intended use of the building.
More Surprise news
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As Gov. Katie Hobbs and Republican lawmakers negotiate the next state budget, dozens of local officials throughout the state are calling on them to include a new tax incentive to boost affordable housing in rural communities. -
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors gave the greenlight to a 160-acre data center and powerplant development in the west Valley despite local concerns about pollution and the project’s proximity to Luke Air Force Base. -
A stop work order related to the project was issued to GardaWorld last week, according to USAspending.gov, a database maintained by the federal government. -
Mayes argues the location of the facility is inappropriate for housing human beings and says DHS didn’t submit necessary environmental reviews.
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The Maricopa Association of Governments published a corridor study of Grand Avenue, highlighting roads in need of improvement to handle future growth.
