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SURPRISE, AZ — Arizona has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to pause development of an immigration detention center in the West Valley, Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Wednesday.
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The , which was filed jointly on Tuesday, stipulates that the conversion of a warehouse complex on Sweetwater Avenue near Dysart Road in Surprise into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center would be on hold until a required environmental review was completed.
Mayes called the agreement “a significant win” for Surprise residents and the rule of law, adding her office would continue fighting to ensure the law is followed.
“Federal agencies must complete the environmental review process required by federal law before moving forward with these types of projects,” she said.
Roz Melling-Durocher, who lives two miles away from the planned ICE facility, told ABC15 the pause is great news.
“I think it’s fantastic,” she said. “I think that’s what the citizens of Surprise have been asking for this whole time.”
She has safety concerns about a chemical storage facility located across the street from the site.
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“An incident here could impact me, it can impact our schools, so safety is my No. 1 concern, but also the strain on our city,” Melling-Durocher said.
Mayes filed a lawsuit in April alleging the federal government moved forward on the facility without completing that review, which is required under the National Environmental Policy Act. The litigation is also on hold while the review is conducted.
See our previous coverage in the video player above.
“Under the agreement, pending court approval, Defendants agree not to detain anyone at the facility or take steps to physically convert it — including construction, demolition, or retrofitting — until a final environmental assessment is completed,” the AG’s office said in a statement. “The stipulation pauses the litigation while the federal government conducts the environmental review, but if necessary, the State reserves the right to challenge the adequacy of the review.”
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ABC15 previously learned the facility, currently an industrial warehouse, would be transformed into a processing facility to house undocumented immigrants for three to seven days.
It was initially expected to open by the end of the fiscal year, the end of September.
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The facility was purchased in January for $70 million.