1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

I’m writing to urge you to publicly oppose—and take immediate oversight action regarding—the proposed federal immigration detention center in Surprise, Arizona, reportedly planned for a large warehouse facility acquired by ICE. Even though this project is federal, it will have real consequences for Arizona communities, our regional healthcare system, and the values we uphold as a state. I’m alarmed by the national context driving this detention expansion. Numerous credible news organizations are reporting that the Trump administration is advancing a sweeping mass detention approach that would keep large numbers of noncitizens in custody without a meaningful opportunity for release on bond—despite serious due process concerns and widespread judicial skepticism. Meanwhile, detention capacity has surged nationwide, including facilities run by private prison contractors. The record described in recent reporting is deeply troubling: unsafe conditions, deaths in custody, and significant gaps in medical care and oversight. Arizona should not become a hub for a detention system expanding faster than accountability can keep up. Surprise residents have also raised a separate and serious concern: lack of transparency. City officials have said they were not notified of the purchase and may have limited authority to regulate the project through local zoning. That is precisely why state legislators must act. Even when local governments have little leverage over federal facilities, state leaders can use oversight, public hearings, and state-level policy tools to demand transparency, protect public health and safety, and ensure Arizona communities are not made complicit in harm. I’m asking you to take the following actions immediately: Demand full transparency from DHS/ICE. Formally request written disclosure of the facility’s intended use, capacity, contractor/operator details, staffing plan, medical-care protocols, grievance procedures, and oversight mechanisms—before operations begin. Support a public legislative hearing. Sponsor or support a hearing that includes Surprise residents, city leadership, legal and civil rights experts, medical professionals, and faith/community leaders so the public can ask questions on the record. Insist on enforceable health and safety standards and independent monitoring. If the facility moves forward, Arizona should press for independent inspections and public reporting on medical access, hospital transfers, injuries, deaths, use of segregation, and access to counsel. Detention without reliable medical care is inhumane and will shift burdens onto local emergency services and hospitals across the region, including metro Phoenix. Oppose state or local facilitation of mass detention. Support policies that prevent Arizona resources from being used to expand or normalize large-scale detention—especially where due process and humane treatment are in question. Elevate humane, cost-effective alternatives. Encourage investment in community-based alternatives to detention and in access to legal counsel and basic services—approaches that are more humane, less costly, and better aligned with public safety. This is about who we are as a state. Inaction does not make us innocent. We can choose transparency, due process, and humane treatment—or we can allow a system of mass detention to take root in Arizona with minimal public input and inadequate accountability. I’m asking you to publicly oppose this detention facility in Surprise and to act quickly to demand transparency and protect Arizona communities. Please let me know what actions you will take, including whether you will support a public hearing and a formal information request to DHS/ICE.