SURPRISE, AZ — Arizona has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE to pause development of an immigration detention center in the West Valley, Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Wednesday.
The agreement was filed jointly on Tuesday, stipulating that the Surprise ICE facility, located near Waddell and Dysart roads, would be paused until a required environmental review was completed.
Mayes filed a lawsuit in April alleging the federal government moved forward on the facility without completing the review required under the National Environmental Policy Act.
See our previous coverage in the video player above.
“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,” the AG’s office said. “The stipulation pauses the litigation while the federal government conducts the environmental review, but if necessary, the State reserves the right to challenge the adequacy of the review.”
RELATED: Activists file petition to disincorporate City of Surprise over planned ICE facility
ABC15 previously learned the facility, currently an industrial warehouse, would be transformed into a processing facility to house undocumented immigrants for three to seven days.
It was initially expected to open by the end of the fiscal year, which is around September.
The facility was purchased in January for $70 million.
Want more news in your community? Add ABC15 as a preferred source on Google below:
