OPINION — When Surprise residents learned a 1,500-bed ICE detention facility was being dropped into the neighborhood with no community input, they weren’t asking the city to manage it, they were asking the city to stop it.
Mayor Kevin Sartor flew to Washington, met with DHS leadership, and returned talking about “timely communication and coordination so the city can prepare for what is to come.” That’s not representation. That’s accommodation.
Surprise residents have been loud and clear. They’ve shown up at city hall. They’ve signed petitions. They’ve organized. On March 28, thousands across the northwest Valley will protest again specifically because of this facility. The message has not been “help us get ready,” the message has been “no.”
