US EditionArizona Sues to Block Proposed ICE Mass Detention Facility Near Site with Hazardous Chemicals
The lawsuit says federal officials skipped environmental reviews and public notice requirements while planning a 542-bed detention center near hazardous chemicals.
- On Friday, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sued the federal government to block conversion of a 418,400-square-foot warehouse in Surprise into an immigration detention center, citing safety and legal violations.
- Mayes alleges the Department of Homeland Security violated the National Environmental Policy Act and Immigration and Nationality Act by failing to conduct required environmental reviews before purchasing the site.
- The warehouse sits across from hazardous chemical storage, posing "serious and unacceptable risks" of a "mass casualty event," according to Mayes, and is located within a mile of three schools.
- Despite resident opposition, the Surprise City Council declined to pursue legal action; Councilmember Chris Judd said "the only way this DHS facility stops, is if DHS decides not to come."
- A federal judge in Maryland recently blocked a similar facility after ruling the government failed to conduct required environmental assessments, providing precedent for Mayes's legal challenge.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Arizona Attorney General's office demands to suspend the installation of an immigration detention center in the city of Surprise
Arizona sues to stop ICE detention facility after city was caught by surprise
While some local governments spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars fighting proposed immigrant detention facilities in their neighborhoods, one state is now taking on the legal task for one of its towns. On Friday, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement over a contested warehouse purchase in the city of Surprise, which documen…
Arizona Attorney General Moves to Block ICE Detention Facility in Surprise
A legal battle is unfolding in Arizona as Kris Mayes takes aim at federal plans to establish a large-scale immigration detention facility in the West Valley city of Surprise. The lawsuit, filed against the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, seeks to halt the conversion of a 418,000-square-foot warehouse into a detention center capable of housing up to 1… Source
Battleground state takes Trump to court over immigration detention warehouse
by Gloria Rebecca Gomez, Arizona MirrorApril 24, 2026Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is suing the Trump administration over its plan to turn a warehouse in Surprise into an immigration detention center, saying that federal law prohibits its construction because the building is directly across th...
Arizona AG sues Trump over Surprise immigration detention warehouse
Attorney General Kris Mayes announces a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Apr 24, 2026 that seeks to stop the renovation of a commercial warehouse facility in Surprise, Arizona into an immigration detention center. Mayes alleges that doing so would violate federal laws that require public input and mandate the use of “appropriate” facilities to house immigrant detainees, because the warehouse is located across the street from a chemica…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
