FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 6, 2026
Contact: media@northwestvalleyindivisible.org
HUNDREDS EXPECTED AT SURPRISE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AS COMMUNITY DEMANDS VOTE TO CALL ON DHS TO STOP ICE WAREHOUSE
Four of Six Council Members Have Raised Public Concerns; Formal Vote Possible Tuesday Night
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Hundreds of Surprise residents are expected to pack City Hall and gather outside Tuesday night as the Surprise City Council takes up Mayor Kevin Sartor’s report on his recent Washington, D.C. meetings with the Department of Homeland Security regarding the controversial ICE detention warehouse at 13290 W. Sweetwater Ave. Northwest Valley Indivisible and allied organizations are calling on the council to pass a resolution urging DHS to stop any further work on the facility due to safety, environmental, and civil rights concerns. Community members will begin gathering outside City Hall at 5:30 PM ahead of the 6:00 PM meeting.
The facility sits within three miles of more than a dozen schools and adjacent to a Rinchem chemical storage facility whose Risk Management Plan predates the detention center and fails to account for the presence of individuals who cannot self-evacuate. It is also believed to exceed 100,000 gallons of water use per day — a threshold that under city ordinance requires permission from the City of Surprise, which does not appear to have been obtained. Opposition has grown steadily since the facility was first reported on in early 2026, driven by concerns including failure to comply with Surprise’s Planned Area Development zoning requirements, unaddressed NEPA review obligations, the Rinchem chemical hazard gap in the Maricopa County Local Emergency Planning Committee’s response plan, and the broader impact on immigrant families and community trust. On March 28, approximately 3,200 Surprise residents turned out as part of the No Kings protests against authoritarian overreach — one of the largest demonstrations of community opposition yet.
Tuesday night’s agenda includes Mayor Sartor’s report on the DC trip. Council Members Patrick Duffy (District 3) and Chris Judd (District 6) have stated publicly that they believe city representatives were told what they wanted to hear by DHS. Council Member Earle Greenberg (District 2) has publicly opposed the facility at his own district community meeting, noting that not one of the numerous constituent letters he has received has been in support of it. Council Member Johnny Melton (District 4) has gone on record demanding that DHS commitments be put in enforceable writing. In total, four of the six non-mayoral council members have raised significant public concerns ahead of Tuesday night’s meeting. Council Member Judd has indicated he will be asking tough questions of his colleagues and has suggested a formal council vote on a response is possible.
“The mayor went to Washington and came back to tell us to trust DHS. We most certainly do not. This facility was dropped into the Surprise community without proper zoning, without environmental review, without notice or transparency, and without any plan for what happens when a chemical emergency hits a building full of people who cannot self-evacuate. Over 3,200 Surprise residents showed up last month to say no. The council has the power to act — and now they’re out of excuses not to.” — Brent Peak, Co-Chair, Northwest Valley Indivisible