Arizona sues to block proposed ICE detention facility near site with chemicals

1 hour ago 4

Arizona has sued the national authorities to artifact a projected Immigration and Customs Enforcement wide detention installation adjacent a tract successful the metropolis of Surprise allegedly filled with hazardous chemicals.

"The Trump medication has tally roughshod implicit national instrumentality successful its unreserved to grow detention capableness crossed the country," Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, whose bureau filed the suit Friday, said in a statement.

Mayes claims the Department of Homeland Security and ICE person not conducted oregon publicized the required biology reviews for opening a facility. The suit besides alleges the projected installation — which could location anyplace from hundreds to up to 1,500 individuals — violates the Immigration and Nationality Act, which mandates the national authorities put for "appropriate" places for migration detention.

An ICE spokesperson told CBS News that earlier purchasing this site, the bureau cautiously evaluated the usage of existing facilities to assistance minimize biology impacts, "including imaginable impacts to protected species, delicate earthy resources, and valued taste resources."

The spokesperson added that the suit wasn't astir the environment, "It's astir trying to halt President Trump from making America safe."

Congress appropriated $45 cardinal to ICE successful July 2025 for "single big alien detention capableness and household residential halfway capacity," to stay disposable for work done September 2029, the suit said. One of those precocious acquired processing sites is the warehouse successful the metropolis of Surprise, which tribunal documents said the national authorities purchased for $70 cardinal connected Jan. 23. The national authorities has issued contracts for implicit $300 cardinal to retrofit the warehouse.

The suit alleges the warehouse was not constructed arsenic a abstraction to location hundreds of people, but arsenic an concern organisation installation for up to 4 commercialized tenants. Court documents accidental the warehouse "sits straight crossed the thoroughfare from a chemic retention installation containing thousands of gallons of hazardous materials." The warehouse includes much than 100,000 feet of containerized hazardous materials retention for chemicals utilized successful semiconductor production, according to the lawsuit.

CBS News reached retired to DHS for remark specifically regarding Arizona's claims that determination are hazardous chemicals successful a warehouse crossed the thoroughfare from the projected detention facility, but did not person a effect earlier publication.

DHS has faced absorption from different cities and states wherever the national authorities plans to unfastened wide detention facilities.

The Atlanta City Council approved a solution earlier this week opposing the operation oregon cognition of large-scale migration detention centers successful Atlanta. The solution raised concerns astir a precocious purchased warehouse successful Social Circle, Georgia, that could clasp up to 10,000 detainees, which section officials said could strain infrastructure similar h2o and sewer systems.

CBS News Atlanta reported earlier this period that DHS had paused plans to unfastened the detention center. City Manager Eric Taylor said helium work astir the intermission online and that each ICE detention centers were paused portion undergoing a process review.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown filed a suit successful March against ICE and DHS aft the national authorities purchased a warehouse adjacent Williamsport to crook into a detention facility.

The authorities said successful responding tribunal documents that each indispensable reviews were conducted and the plaintiffs' claims did not show a preliminary injunction would beryllium successful the nationalist interest. A Maryland justice granted a preliminary injunction connected April 15 to halt the operation of the detention installation portion the suit plays out.

April Alexander contributed to this report.

In: