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Arizona Sues to Halt ICE Processing Site Planned Near Chemical Storage in Surprise

The case tests whether DHS can expand detention by refitting warehouses without a public environmental review.

Overview

  • Arizona’s attorney general filed the case Friday, accusing DHS and ICE of skipping required environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act.
  • The lawsuit argues the site violates immigration law requiring an appropriate location because the warehouse sits across from a chemical storage facility and is near Dysart High School.
  • ICE said it evaluated environmental impacts before the purchase and called the challenge a political effort to block the president’s detention plans.
  • Plans call for a short‑term processing center for single adults held three to seven days, with about 250 people moving through each week and a cap of 542 beds, with transfers to El Paso or Salt Lake City.
  • Federal records show DHS bought the 418,000‑square‑foot warehouse in January for more than $70 million and issued over $300 million in retrofit contracts, as similar warehouse projects face court fights and internal reviews that could delay openings.