A $313 million federal contract to convert a warehouse in Surprise, Arizona, into an immigration detention center has been halted, adding uncertainty to a project already facing legal action and local opposition.
USAspending.gov, a federal database, shows two recent contract modifications. The first, issued on April 22, imposed a stop-work order on the processing facility. The second, issued on April 23, updated that directive.
Volunteer-led research and advocacy group Project Salt Box, which monitors both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), broke the story on April 26.
The contract, awarded to GardaWorld Federal Services, covers the conversion of the warehouse into a detention center with capacity for up to 1,500 people.
The facility is 418,400 square feet on a 24-acre site at 13290 W. Sweetwater Ave in Surprise. It sits about a mile from a middle school and high school, which together enroll roughly 2,000 students.
GardaWorld Federal Services, based in McLean, Virginia, is the U.S. government contracting arm of GardaWorld Security Corp, according to its website.
It provides security, medical, and logistics support to U.S. agencies and international organizations, including NATO and the European Union.
On April 24, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed suit to block the project, alleging violations of state and federal law for failing to provide public notice and complete environmental reviews.
The Department of Homeland Security purchased the warehouse from RG Surprise on Feb. 23 for $70.035 million in cash.
Mayes argued that the building was not designed for human occupancy or basic services such as food, hygiene, or shelter and would strain local water and sewer systems.
The lawsuit names DHS and ICE as defendants, along with Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and DHS Director Markwayne Mullin.
It also cites ICE’s revised Trump-era plan to acquire and renovate eight large detention centers and 16 processing sites, purchase 10 privately owned “turnkey” jails and prisons already under immigration detention contracts, and spend $38.3 billion to implement the program by Sept. 30.
GardaWorld referred The Epoch Times to DHS for comment.
An ICE spokesperson told The Epoch Times that the lawsuit is “not about the environment” but an effort “to stop President Trump from making America safe.”
They said that the Biden-era surge in illegal immigration was “devastating for ranches and riverbeds,” while critics now use environmental claims to block enforcement actions targeting “dangerous criminals.”
The spokesperson said that prior to acquiring the site, ICE reviewed existing facilities to reduce environmental impacts, including effects on protected species, sensitive natural resources, and cultural sites.
The stop-work order remains in effect, with no timeline for its duration.
A Change.org petition by Dysart High School student Cali Overs opposes the project, citing concerns over student health and safety.
“This detention center isn’t just going to sit there quietly,” the petition reads. “There will be a continuous flow of traffic going in and out at all hours of the day. Protesters and media will be a constant presence. This is a dangerous mix for us.
“Regardless of your political views on immigration, the safety of children is a bipartisan issue. Every student has a right to a safe route to school and a learning environment that’s free from government-created fear, intimidation, and disruption.”
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