PHOENIX – Local officials were taken off guard when the Department of Homeland Security purchased a West Valley warehouse to convert into a large immigration detention facility.
“The city was not aware that there were efforts underway to purchase the building, was not notified of the transaction by any of the parties involved and has not been contacted by DHS or any federal agency about the intended use of the building,” the city of Surprise, where the building is located, said in a statement on Friday.
The statement noted that federal projects are not subject to local zoning regulations. The Surprise City Council’s first meeting since the building sale made news is set for Tuesday at 6 p.m…