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Surprise residents urge council to stop planned DHS processing site near Dysart High; council seeks legal, policy options
Summary
Hundreds of residents and state lawmakers pressed Surprise leaders to block a proposed DHS/ICE short-term processing site at 13290 W. Sweetwater, citing proximity to schools, water and safety concerns; councilmembers pledged follow-up, asked staff for legal options and scheduled future action items.
Mayor Kevin Sarter convened a crowded public-comment period on April 7 as residents urged the Surprise City Council to prevent a planned Department of Homeland Security (DHS) processing site at 13290 West Sweetwater from opening.
Hundreds of people packed the chamber during an extended public-comment block about the federal facility, which DHS has characterized in briefings to city officials as a short-term processing site for single adults with a near-term capacity of 542 beds and an average stay of three to seven days. During the debrief of a March Washington, D.C., advocacy trip, city staff said DHS indicated the site would be operated by a contractor and that federal officials plan to provide site plans, NEPA analyses and an intergovernmental agreement or similar legal instrument.
Why it matters: Residents, student leaders, state legislators and advocacy groups said the warehouse-conversion model DHS described is incompatible with local priorities and public safety. Many speakers demanded written, enforceable commitments and asked the council to pursue legal or policy tools — including lawsuits, moratoria, utility restrictions and a three-mile…
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