LETTER: Democrats Oppose Opening of ICE Facility in Surprise; Ask City Council to Stop the Facility From Opening
- Arizona Senate Democrats
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
April 7, 2026
The Honorable Mayor Kevin Sartor
Councilmember Nick Haney
Councilmember Earle Greenburg
Councilmember Patrick Duffy
Councilmember Johnny V. Melton
Councilmember Jack Hastings
Councilmember Chris Judd
To the Honorable Mayor Sartor and Members of the Surprise City Council:
We write as elected state legislators gravely concerned about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) plans to open a processing center within the next 3-6 months in Surprise, Arizona.
As ICE seeks to ramp up deportations, they are acquiring more detention and office space across the country and have virtually unlimited resources through the more than $170 billion provided to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through H.R. 1. This large-scale expansion of ICE is not only a danger to those individuals being held in custody, but the community as a whole.
Deaths in ICE custody have risen significantly under the Trump Administration, with 34 deaths reported in 2025 and at least 14 deaths reported as of late March 2026. This represents a sharp increase from previous years (11 in 2024), making it the deadliest period since 2004. The increase in deaths is being driven by increased detention numbers, inadequately trained staff, overcrowding, and an absolute failure by ICE to provide medically appropriate health care. Further, the proposal presents a safety and security threat to the residents of Surprise, many of whom have expressed their opposition of the facility to the council.
West Valley communities will bear the brunt of the impacts of this warehouse, including exposure to public health risks caused by unsafe or unhealthy conditions, increased ICE presence, foregone tax revenue, water and sanitation burdens, environmental impacts, and strained infrastructure. We believe there is no compromise that should be made with DHS to open this facility. The only acceptable option is to stop the facility from opening at all costs.
To that end, we ask the City to take action in the following ways:
Pursue any and all legal action to prevent DHS from superseding local control
Refuse all water, sewer, and other municipal services to the facility
Refuse all permits for retrofitting an office building into a private detention center, as officials did in Howard County, MD1
Pass a moratorium blocking all non-municipal detention facility permits, as officials did in Kansas City, Missouri.2
Pass an ordinance prohibiting ICE from using city-owned property for operations, similar to the City of Phoenix
DHS and ICE have proven they cannot operate any facility without violating human rights and the United States Constitution. Allowing this detention center to move forward with the minimal concessions made by DHS will only serve to expand their authoritarian mass deportation campaign which has injured and killed citizens and noncitizens alike, separated families, and deported U.S. citizens and others legally present in the U.S.
We stand ready as state legislators to support you in your demands for local control and respect for our nation’s laws and the basic human rights of immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and United States citizens. Thank you for your service to the residents of Surprise.
Sincerely,
Analise Ortiz
Arizona State Senator
Legislative District 24
Priya Sundareshan
Senate Minority Leader
Legislative District 18
Catherine Miranda
Senate Assistant Minority Leader
Legislative District 11
Oscar De Los Santos
House Minority Leader
Legislative District 11
Nancy Gutierrez
House Minority Assistant Leader
Legislative District 18
Rosana Gabaldón
Senate Minority Whip
Legislative District 21
Stacey Travers
House Minority Whip
Legislative District 12
Lauren Kuby
Arizona State Senator
Legislative District 8
Lela Alston
Arizona State Senator
Legislative District 5
Theresa Hatathlie
Arizona State Senator
Legislative District 6
Sally Ann Gonzales
Arizona State Senator
Legislative District 20
Flavio Bravo
Arizona State Senator
Legislative District 26
Brian Fernandez
Arizona State Senator
Legislative District 23
Denise "Mitzi" Epstein
Arizona State Senator
Legislative District 12
Kiana Sears
Arizona State Senator
Legislative District 9
Brian Garcia
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 8
Christopher Mathis
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 18
Elda Luna-Nájera
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 22
Lorena Austin
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 9
Consuelo Hernandez
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 21
Myron Tsosie
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 6
Mariana Sandoval
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 23
Alma Hernandez
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 20
Eva Diaz
Arizona State Senator
Legislative District 22
Lydia Hernandez
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 24
Stephanie Stahl Hamilton
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 21
Quantá Crews
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 26
Aaron Márquez
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 5
Sarah Liguori
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 5
Patty Contreras
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 12
Lupe Contreras
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 22
Stephanie Simacek
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 2
Junelle Cavero
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 11
Betty Villegas
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 20
Janeen Connolly
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 8
Mae Peshlakai
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 6
Seth Blattman
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 9
Cesar Aguilar
Arizona State Representative
Legislative District 26
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