Deal prevents Surprise facility from being used for ICE detention at this time: AZ AG
SURPRISE, Ariz. - Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced on July 1 that a deal has been reached with Homeland Security officials that will, for now, prevent a Surprise building from being used as an immigration detention center.
What we know:
According to a statement from Mayes' office, an agreement has been reached with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE to pause "efforts to convert a Surprise property into an immigration detention center until required environmental review is complete."
The backstory:
In February 2026, we reported that DHS had plans to convert a warehouse located at Sweetwater Avenue and Dysart Road into a detention facility with 1,500 beds.
At the time, it was reported that retrofitting the facility was expected to cost $150 million, and that over the course of three years, operations were projected to cost $180 million, while generating approximately $16 million in annual tax revenue.
The project has resulted in controversy, with some members of the community saying during a city council meeting that the proposed facility is causing "trauma, fear, and heartbreak to the community around it," while others expressed support for law enforcement’s mission to protect the public.
In March 2026, community members and the Surprise City Council called on the federal government to work with the city to address infrastructure and safety concerns. DHS agreed and scaled down its original plan.
In April, Mayes filed a lawsuit, claiming environmental reviews still needed to be completed. The work was paused, but the federal contract database USAspending.gov shows the stop-work order was later rescinded.
Dig deeper:
Per Mayes' statement, the deal was filed on June 30.
"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," read a portion of the statement.
Mayes said the deal will pause her lawsuit while the environmental review is being done, and that the state has the right to challenge the review's adequacy if necessary.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by the Arizona Attorney General's Office, with supplemental information gathered from FOX 10 news reports that were published on February 17 and June 23, 2026.