Kelly, Gallego Urge DHS to Halt Arizona ICE Detention Expansion Amid Transparency and Safety Concerns

Follows the Senators' unanswered February 10 letter and ongoing transparency concerns

Read AZ Mirror exclusive: Kelly, Gallego urge DHS to halt planned ICE detention facilities in Surprise and Marana

Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego urged recently confirmed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin to halt planned immigration detention expansion projects in Arizona-including new facilities in Surprise and Marana-until the Department provides full transparency into its plans for these facilities. The senators also pressed for a thorough assessment of the impact of these facilities on Arizona communities and meaningful engagement with local leaders and citizens.

The letter follows a previous request sent by the senators on February 10, 2026, regarding DHS's acquisition of a commercial warehouse in Surprise, Arizona. DHS has failed to provide a response.

"In the weeks since, the Department has continued to advance detention-related projects in Arizona without providing timely, consistent, complete, or accurate information to local officials, our offices, or the public. Given the scale and pace of these efforts and the Department's review of detention projects nationwide, we urge the Department to stop the planned detention projects in Arizona, including in Surprise and Marana, until there is full transparency and a thorough assessment of the impact these facilities will have on Arizona communities," wrote the senators.

Kelly and Gallego emphasized that DHS is moving forward without transparency or local coordination: "We continue to share the same concerns expressed in our February 10th letter. Despite that letter and concerns raised by local, state, and federal officials, the Department has continued to move forward with acquisitions and contracts with only minimal public input or transparency-leaving communities to learn primarily through public reporting about major decisions that will impact them for years."

The senators also raised serious concerns about the use of taxpayer dollars and the Department's procurement process: "Last year, the Department received tens of billions of taxpayer dollars for expanded enforcement and detention operations with little to no oversight built in. Now, the Department's rushed and secretive approach raises serious concerns about how it is spending those funds. The warehouse in Surprise was purchased for more than $70 million, nearly thirty percent above the estimated value of the property, and will require substantial additional federal investment to bring online. To date, the Department has provided little information on how the property was identified, valued, or procured."

They further highlighted broader public safety and public health issues at detention facilities across the country, including measles outbreaks reported in Arizona: "In addition to cost and transparency issues, we are concerned that the Department is unprepared to adhere to detention, safety, and medical care standards in these new facilities. While the Department is rapidly expanding available detention space, it has failed to provide even basic safety and adequate medical care for individuals at existing facilities. As a result, detained individuals are facing serious and, in too many cases, deadly consequences. Sixteen people have died in ICE custody in just the first few months of 2026, and nearly fifty have died since January 2025, making 2025 the agency's deadliest year in more than two decades. […] In Arizona, there have been multiple measles outbreaks within ICE detention facilities since January of this year. Nothing that we have seen gives us any confidence that the Department can safely and effectively manage expanded operations."

Read the full letter here.