DHS reveals Surprise warehouse turned ICE detention facility part of $38B plan

SURPRISE, Ariz. - City councilors in Surprise are holding another council meeting where they expect to hear from many residents about the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) plan to convert a local warehouse into a detention facility. New documents reveal how much it’s going to cost taxpayers to build it. 

As one city councilor said, it doesn’t matter what the city does. No local law or ordinance passed would override the federal government's plan for the building. Still, many are coming to these city council meetings to protest.

The backstory:

The initial meeting drew strong reactions from all sides of the community, and sparked protests outside City Hall.

Some attendees said it's causing "trauma, fear, and heartbreak to the community around it," while others expressed support for law enforcement’s mission to protect the public, saying "the men and women have a job to do to protect us."

"If they’re going to locate here, they should have done some planning," one resident said during the meeting.

The controversy stems from the $70 million purchase of a warehouse by DHS, which the agency intends to turn into a 1,500-bed detention center. A newly released economic analysis from DHS provides further details on the project's scope. 

By the numbers:

Retrofitting the facility is expected to cost $150 million and create nearly 1,400 jobs. Over three years, operations are projected to cost $180 million while generating approximately $16 million in annual tax revenue.

Local perspective:

The mayor of Surprise stated the city was not informed of the DHS plan prior to the acquisition.

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., responded to the newly released documents Tuesday, criticizing the focus of the investment.

"You’re not focused on law enforcement," Gallego said. "You’re trying to create these deportation mills where, instead of going after criminals, you’re having these massive investments in warehousing of humans. That’s not, I think, where the public is."

The other side:

Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., who supports the administration’s immigration policies said he’s awaiting a formal response to his letter questioning the impacts on infrastructure. 

A spokesperson for Gosar said the congressman has spoken to DHS about it, but "he continues to request a written response as the documents, while helpful, do not answer all questions in his letter."

Dig deeper:

A DHS spokesperson emphasized the economic benefits and job creation associated with the project, but said that doesn't take into account making communities safe.

"ICE purchased a facility in Glendale, Arizona. These will be very well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards. Sites will undergo community impact studies and a rigorous due diligence process to make sure there is no hardship on local utilities or infrastructure prior to purchase. The Glendale Processing facility and its construction are expected to bring 1,372 jobs and would contribute $154.1 million to GDP. It’s also projected to bring in $32.9 million in tax revenue.

"These economic benefits don’t even take into account that removing criminals from the streets makes communities safer for business owners and customers. ICE is targeting criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members and more. 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE has new funding to expand detention space to keep these criminals off American streets before they are removed for good from our communities."

What's next:

This is all part of a broader plan the documents reveal by DHS to spend $38.8 billion to create a new detention model nationally.