SURPRISE — A proposed federal immigration detention center in Surprise remains on hold while an environmental review moves forward, months after Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sued to stop it, ABC15 reported.
Mayes filed the lawsuit in April, alleging the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement failed to conduct or make public required environmental reviews before moving ahead.
The lawsuit also raised concerns about the site’s proximity to a chemical and gas storage facility, describing it as a “potential chemical hazard zone.”
According to a court document dated Sept. 4, ICE has hired a contractor to help with the environmental review. Under the court’s order, federal officials must file status reports every 60 days. The site is guarded but has not opened for detention operations.
Troy Rule, an environmental law expert at Arizona State University, told ABC15 such reviews examine effects on the host community, wildlife, water supplies, air quality, traffic, cultural resources and health and safety. A review can take as little as 30 days but typically takes one to three years, he said.
Brent Peak, co-chair of Northwest Valley Indivisible, a group opposing the facility, said Mayes has argued the site “would never be suitable for mass detention.”
Some nearby residents also told the station they oppose the project. Federal officials have not announced a timeline for a decision.
Sources: ABC15. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: RandomMainstream / CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.
