Arizona Sues to Block ICE Facility Near Hazardous Chemical Site

Arizona filed suit to block ICE’s planned detention facility across from a chemical storage site.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement on April 24, 2026, aiming to block construction of a migrant detention center at 13290 W. Sweetwater Avenue in Surprise, AZ.

• The proposed 418,400-square-foot warehouse, purchased by ICE in January 2026 for $70 million, is across the street from Rinchem Co. LLC, a 123,000-square-foot hazardous materials facility storing chemicals including chlorine, hydrofluoric acid, and fluorine.
• The state claims this proximity creates a risk of "potential mass casualty events" if a chemical spill or fire were to occur, raising serious public safety concerns.
• Mayes alleges that DHS and ICE bypassed required environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and that siting a detention facility at this location violates the Immigration and Nationality Act's standard for "appropriate" detention sites.
• The industrial warehouse, originally intended for logistics, lacks essential features necessary for detainee safety, like adequate water and wastewater infrastructure for up to 1,500 people.
• The neighboring chemical facility’s updated Risk Management Plan, filed January 1, 2026, did not account for the presence of a detention center next door.

Mayes stated, “We will do everything in our power to demand accountability from the federal government and to protect the health and safety of this community.” She criticized what she described as a lack of public input and oversight in the detention center’s development.
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Yes, but: Details on environmental reviews conducted by ICE or DHS are currently unavailable. Federal agencies have not issued a public response to the lawsuit.