Overview
- DHS completed a cash purchase on Jan. 23 of a 418,400-square-foot warehouse in Surprise for more than $70 million, located near Sweetwater Avenue and Dysart Road by homes, schools, and businesses.
- ICE acknowledged on Jan. 30 that the site will serve as a processing facility with about 1,500 beds as part of its detention expansion efforts.
- The agency cited funding from the president’s recent spending bill to support the expansion, according to an ICE spokesperson.
- Surprise officials say they were not notified of the building’s intended use, and the city notes federal projects are not subject to local zoning rules.
- The Arizona plan fits reporting that ICE is acquiring large warehouses nationwide, including purchases near Hagerstown, Maryland, and in El Paso, Texas, drawing organized pushback and mixed reactions locally.