Nearly 1,000 demonstrators gather against planned ICE facility in Surprise

Nearly 1,000 people protested on the sidewalks in Surprise against ICE and its planned facility in the city.

Northwest Valley Indivisible, a grassroots liberal group, already had an anti-ICE protest planned for Jan. 31. The group had been consistently protesting on Saturdays since federal immigration officials killed Minnesota residents Renee Good, a mother of three, and Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, in the past month, according to co-chair Brent Peak.

But in recent days, the upcoming Saturday protest became personal after The Arizona Republic reported that the Department of Homeland Security had acquired a 418,400 square-foot warehouse in Surprise, which ICE later confirmed would be a 1,500-bed processing facility to expand detention space.

“An ICE facility in Surprise would be a stain on our city,” said Carole Parnell, who had a picture of the warehouse off Sweetwater Avenue and Dysart Road crossed out on a poster that said “Keep ICE out of Surprise.”

BACKGROUND: ICE confirms it will add 1,500-bed detention facility in Surprise

Protesters of all ages lined the sidewalks at the intersection of Civic Center Drive and Bell Road, with lines extending about a quarter of a mile west and a third of a mile east. They held up various poster boards and chanted as drivers consistently honked their horns in support. Some protesters played music, including Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ and Bruce Springsteen’s newly released ‘Streets of Minneapolis.’

One chant was, “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! ICE has got to go!”

Francisco Buendia, who grew up in Surprise and now lives in Glendale, attended the protest with his family, including his 4-year-old daughter, Evangeline. Wearing a Mexican flag on his front and a U.S. flag on his back, Buendia said he worries that an ICE facility in Surprise could create conditions similar to those in Minnesota, noting that Arizona is a border state.

Buendia said his parents became U.S. citizens decades ago after immigrating from Mexico, but that not everyone has the chance to gain citizenship quickly. Immigrants from all countries, he said, are the “backbone” of the United States, and he added that it is difficult for him to see Mexicans who are pro-MAGA.

Evangeline had her own poster of Disney’s Elsa from the movie “Frozen” that read, “This queen wants ICE out!” When asked why she and her family were at the protest, she said, “To make the bad guys go away.”

“Maybe Elsa can freeze them,” she said.

The protest began around 9 a.m. Surprise police and the city’s transportation staff were present to maintain safety, support residents exercising their First Amendment rights, and minimize traffic impacts, according to police spokesperson Sgt. Rick Hernandez.

About an hour later, Northwest Valley Indivisible reported a preliminary count of 986 participants. Peak said there were no reports of agitators or counterprotesters, though at least two trucks drove by menacingly. The Republic observed one driver roll down a window and make an obscene gesture toward protesters.

Peak said the group was working with police to figure out how to best protest at the warehouse.

The building is about four miles from Surprise City Hall. It is near neighborhoods, grocery stores, restaurants, entertainment venues and schools. What ICE plans is essentially out of officials’ hands, as the city said on Jan. 30 that federal projects were not subject to location regulations, like zoning.

“If they care about our community, they’d coordinate with our community,” said Peak.

Reporting by Elena Santa Cruz, Arizona Republic