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Surprise Cites Progress in Talks on ICE Processing Facility

City leaders say DHS pledged a processing-only site with reimbursements.

Overview

  • Following meetings in Washington, Mayor Kevin Sartor said DHS described the Surprise site as a short-stay processing center for single adults.
  • City officials said people would stay three to seven days before transfer to larger facilities or removal.
  • Sartor said operations would begin around 250 people per week with an occupied-bed cap of 542, with opening targeted by late September.
  • Federal officials told the city there would be no releases in Surprise and that transport would be handled discreetly to limit disruption.
  • Activists with Northwest Valley Indivisible urged cancellation and argued a memorandum of understanding would carry no legal force, with the City Council set to revisit the issue April 7 as a draft agreement takes shape.