Here's what your city hall did this week
Look, here's the deal: The big news making waves across the Valley this week involves a planned ICE detention facility in Surprise. Remember all the talk about a massive new center? Well, it looks like local pressure, especially from folks like Senator Mark Kelly and Representative Ruben Gallego, might be making a difference.
According to a city media release from Friday, April 17th, the initial plan for a 1,500-bed facility has been scaled back significantly. We're now looking at 542 beds. That's a pretty substantial reduction, mijo. Kelly and Gallego specifically urged the Department of Homeland Security to halt these planned facilities not just in Surprise, but also in Marana. It shows that when our representatives push, sometimes things shift.
This all comes on the heels of other releases from Friday where the National Guard's general weighed in on troops possibly being deployed to polls, saying they "follow the Constitution." Seems like everyone's getting involved in the conversation right now, from the Pentagon to our own city.
The next thing to watch is how this reduced capacity impacts the larger immigration conversation in Arizona. Will it alleviate some of the concerns, or is it just a temporary measure?
That's the Valley, baby — 115 degrees and we're still out here.
Carlos Espinoza-Reyes, MiTL Sports Desk, Phoenix
Oye, my compas on the morning show are talking about this all week – check it out live at mornings.live.