Today, I met with Congressman Paul Gosar's district director, Penny Pew. First, I am grateful to Congressman Gosar's staff for taking the time to meet with me about student safety concerns with the ICE detention center being so close to our schools and neighborhoods.

Here is how the meeting went:

• Penny Pew will bring the 3-Mile Student Safety Buffer Zone up to the legislative team and will follow up with me in a couple of weeks. She said three miles is asking a lot because there are already many prisons and ICE detention centers near schools.
• When I brought up all the safety concerns she said “you can’t go off of what if’s”.
• She said that protestors will not be an issue because “we don’t behave like Minneapolis here”.
• She said there won’t be any protestors because the detention center is on private property.
• She told me to read Kristi Noem’s letter that ensures student safety.
• She brought in another staffer, Michael, who said that his daughter attends the cheer clinic that is 500 feet away from the proposed ICE detention center and he has no concerns about her safety.
• When I told her that students who live within 2 miles of the school do not get bus transportation and they will have to walk directly past this detention center in order to get to school she said “kids shouldn’t be walking through industrial sites”.
• When I told her we will need extra police and resources because of this detention center, she said “resources are the city and district’s responsibility”.
• She doesn’t understand how the detention center may cause some kids to not go to school.
• She said there will be no escapees or detainees released into our neighborhoods.
• She said there is no proof that this detention center will bring violence. When I told her that someone already tried to set it on fire she said that was before security was put into place.
• I showed her the Washington Post article that says the private prison company, GardaWorld, will be running the ICE detention center here in Surprise and that they have never run an ICE detention center before. She said they have over 30 years of experience.
• She said that students and residents need “to accept the fact that this detention center is here” and that we “need to accommodate our lives around it because it’s not going away”.

I left the meeting feeling frustrated because the safety concerns I raised were dismissed as hypothetical. But I'm still somewhat hopeful because Penny Pew said she will be bring the 3-Mile Student Safety Buffer Zone Act proposal to Congressman Gosar's legislative team. I will keep everyone updated when I hear back from his office in a few weeks.

In the meantime, please call his office at (623) 707-0530 and let him know that you want him to introduce federal legislation for the 3-mile buffer zone.

Also, I gave the following to his staffer, Penny Pew:

• A meeting packet
• A map with students walking routes that go directly by the detention center
• A copy of this petition
• The Washington Post article titled "ICE selects untested firms to oversee new warehouse detention centers"

I will keep pushing forward. I have a meeting with Senator Ruben Gallego's immigration/homeland security advisor on March 16th. I am still in the process of scheduling a meeting with Senator Mark Kelly's office. 

Sincerely,

Cali Overs

Student Body Vice President

Dysart High School