Arizona high school student demands buffer zone to keep ICE away schools

SURPRISE, Ariz. - One Valley high school student is calling for a separation between school campuses and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity. 

What we know:

Cali Overs, a senior at Dysart High School, is expressing concern over plans for an ICE detention facility located within miles of several schools, including her own.

Dysart High School is less than a mile from the 418,000-square-foot warehouse purchased by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Overs, who serves as the student body vice president, is calling on lawmakers to mandate a buffer zone to keep ICE activity away from schools.

What She's Saying:

"Everyone has a civic duty to protect the youth and the students," Overs said. "I believe that this facility is not going to be anywhere close to a safe space."

Overs emphasized that many students walk to campus and expressed worry that a detention facility along those routes could create safety concerns. She is asking federal lawmakers to introduce legislation requiring a three-mile buffer zone between any ICE detention or processing center and K-12 schools.

"I don't believe this is a partisan issue; this is student security," Overs said. "I hope they do something about it. And they protect the students that they vowed to protect."

Dig deeper:

The proposed legislation would also block federal funding for any ICE facilities located within that buffer zone. Overs is urging lawmakers to walk the three-quarter-mile route from the campus to the warehouse to see the proximity for themselves.

"It's very close. Like, we can see a bit of it from our school," she said.

In addition to the buffer zone, Overs is calling for DHS to pause the project until a full public review is completed. 

"I felt moved because I'm a student body vice president for us. I was elected to the school students and with our students being 60% Hispanic, I felt compelled to be the one to step up," she said. 

What they're saying:

Overs has written to Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, and Rep. Paul Gosar, asking them to introduce this kind of legislation at the federal level. 

Sen. Mark Kelly's Office released a statement on Overs' speech. 

"Cali’s action reflects the feelings of a lot of folks in the community that wasn’t part of the decision when DHS purchased a facility in Surprise for immigration enforcement. This is why Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego have demanded answers from DHS and ICE on this warehouse and how it will impact the community. Senator Kelly is also a cosponsor of the Respect for Local Communities Act, a bill to require DHS to seek public input and obtain state and local approval before opening any new ICE detention facility."

Sen. Gallego's Office also responded, saying: "Senator Gallego has been clear that the Department of Homeland Security must work with local communities and be transparent about how its operations will impact them, instead of leaving Arizonans in the dark. That is why he and Senator Kelly demanded answers from Secretary Noem on how her agency intends to use this warehouse. Our office has reached out regarding this specific meeting and looks forward to hearing directly from Arizonans about their concerns and how to best address the issues facing their community."

What's next:

Overs has a meeting scheduled with Rep. Gosar next week. His ofice also released a statement.

"Representative Gosar’s office has been in communication with Cali Overs, and we have a meeting scheduled with her next Tuesday to discuss her concerns and look forward to a thoughtful and respectful conversation about her proposal. The Congressman appreciates hearing directly from constituents, especially students who take an active interest in civic issues that impact their community," stated Anthony Foti, Communications Director, Representative Paul Gosar.