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

Politics Arizona sues to block proposed ICE mass detention facility near site with hazardous chemicals By Cara Tabachnick Cara Tabachnick News Editor Cara Tabachnick is a news editor at CBSNews.com. Cara began her career on the crime beat at Newsday. She has written for Marie Claire, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She reports on justice and human rights issues. Contact her at cara.tabachnick@cbsinteractive.com Read Full Bio Cara Tabachnick April 25, 2026 / 5:29 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Arizona has sued the federal government to block a proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement mass detention facility near a site in the city of Surprise allegedly filled with hazardous chemicals."The Trump administration has run roughshod over federal law in its rush to expand detention capacity across the country," Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, whose office filed the lawsuit Friday, said in a statement. Mayes claims the Department of Homeland Security and ICE have not conducted or publicized the required environmental reviews for opening a facility. The lawsuit also alleges the proposed facility — which could house anywhere from hundreds to up to 1,500 individuals — violates the Immigration and Nationality Act, which mandates the federal government arrange for "appropriate" places for immigration detention.An ICE spokesperson told CBS News that before purchasing this site, the agency carefully evaluated the use of existing facilities to help minimize environmental impacts, "including potential impacts to protected species, sensitive natural resources, and valued cultural resources." The spokesperson added that the lawsuit wasn't about the environment, "It's about trying to stop President Trump from making America safe."Congress appropriated $45 billion to ICE in July 2025 for "single adult alien detention capacity and family residential center capacity," to remain available for obligation through September 2029, t...