Student security is a bipartisan, non-political issue. Every student deserves a safe path to school.

My name is Cali Overs and I live in Surprise, Arizona. I’m a senior at Dysart High School in El Mirage, Arizona, where I serve as Student Body Vice President and have a 4.3 GPA. I am not affiliated with any political organization. I am the Student Body Vice President and I am speaking on behalf of my student body. I am launching this petition because my classmates and I are truly scared for our safety and well-being.

In January 2026, the Department of Homeland Security quietly purchased a warehouse at 13290 W. Sweetwater Ave in Surprise for $70 million. Their plan is to convert it into a 1,500-bed ICE detention center. This happened without any public notification and without any consultation with our mayor, city council, school board, or any Arizona elected officials.

This is a massive 418,000 square foot facility. A typical Walmart Supercenter is 180,000 square feet. Seven football fields can fit inside this building. 1,500 beds can fit an entire small town. Most county jails don't even hold that many people.

This proposed ICE detention center is located:

• 0.75 miles from Dysart High School
• 1 mile from Dysart Middle School
• 1 mile from El Mirage Elementary School

 

 

ICE detention centers have always been placed in rural, remote locations. DHS is placing this directly inside our school zone. This warehouse was structurally built and zoned to be a commercial warehouse, not a detention facility to house human beings. DHS has not provided any evidence that this warehouse is even capable of securely containing these people. A makeshift ICE detention center housing what the Trump Administration calls "the worst of the worst" should not be within walking distance of our schools.

We Have a Fundamental Right to Safe Routes To and From School

Due to a severe lack of funding, all students (K-12) in the Dysart School District who live within two miles of a school are not provided with any bus transportation. This means hundreds of children from kindergarteners to senior high school students have to walk or ride their bike to school every day, passing directly by this detention center twice a day.

This detention center isn't just going to sit there quietly. There will be a continuous flow of traffic going in and out at all hours of the day. Protesters and media will be a constant presence. This is a dangerous mix for us. Around 7:00-8:30 am and 2:00-3:30 pm everyday, the road leading to our schools will become completely deadlocked. We'll have our normal school rush with parents stopping and going, kids crossing the streets, and inexperienced teenage drivers trying to get through the intersections. Now DHS wants to inject the chaos of armored prisoner transport buses, large SUV's being driven by ICE agents, and everything else that comes along with a major federal detention center. No student should have to travel through an active federal enforcement zone in order to get an education.

Fear of Racial Profiling

Our student body is approximately 60% Hispanic. In September 2025, the Supreme Court allowed federal immigration agents to use race, ethnicity, and accents as factors when deciding whether to stop and question people. This has created intense fear among our students who worry about being stopped, harassed, and interrogated on their way to and from school. Many students have told me they are so scared of being targeted just for being Hispanic that they plan to switch to online school once the detention center opens. This is not okay. A lot of students don't have a quiet place to study, or reliable internet, or the ability to teach themselves certain subjects without a teacher in the room. They shouldn't have to abandon classrooms, teachers, and friends just to feel safe in their own community. Every student has a right to an education free from the intimidation, anxiety, and distraction that this ICE detention center will create.

Schools Are No Longer Protected

In January 2025, the Trump Administration eliminated the Sensitive Locations protections. For decades, under multiple administrations, there was a policy designating schools, churches, and hospitals as sensitive locations. This protected schools from federal enforcement except in extreme emergencies, but now our schools have lost that protection.

DHS is creating unnecessary risk for thousands of school children by placing detention centers so close to our schools. There is no research showing this is safe. There are no long-term case studies, no data, and no evidence proving that these ICE detention centers can coexist safely with K-12 schools and residential areas. We do not want to be used as a government experiment to find out what the effects and consequences are.

This Concerns Everyone

Regardless of your political views on immigration, the safety of children is a bipartisan issue. Every student has a right to a safe route to school and a learning environment that's free from government-created fear, intimidation, and disruption.

What are the lockdown protocols? Will DHS place our schools immediately on lockdown during an escape? How often will our schools experience interruptions from security issues arising from this detention center? Where will ICE be releasing detainees that the court orders to be released?

All across the United States, DHS is currently buying up warehouses to convert into ICE detention centers with no regard for how it will impact students and the local communities. They’ve already purchased multiple sites and plan to buy dozens more, without any warning or input from the residents. We’re being forced to accept these facilities without any evidence they won’t harm our schools and neighborhoods.

I have spoken at multiple Surprise City Council meetings to voice my concerns on this issue. Each meeting has been packed with other angry residents who are furious about this facility. The City Council sent a formal letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem seeking clarification, but we all know they have no legal authority to stop this. Only Congress does.

What I Am Asking For:

I am urgently calling on Senator Mark Kelly (D), Senator Ruben Gallego (D), and Congressman Paul Gosar (R) to do the following:

1) Pass a NATIONWIDE 3-Mile Safety Buffer Zone Federal Law: I am asking that they introduce federal legislation immediately that legally mandates a nationwide 3-mile minimum safety buffer zone between any ICE detention/processing/intake centers and any K-12 school, and blocks any federal funding from being used for ICE facilities that are inside the zone. This 3-mile buffer guarantees that detention centers are never placed inside the walking zone of students. It establishes a safe boundary separating these two worlds so they don't collide with each other. I have reached out to each of their offices by email requesting a meeting to get this legislation passed as soon as possible.

2) Take a Walk With Me: I am asking that they come here to Surprise and walk the route with me from the proposed ICE detention center to Dysart High School. Come see just how close this is to our school and exactly what students will have to face every morning and afternoon.

3) Demand Research From DHS: I am asking that they demand the Department of Homeland Security pause the opening of this ICE detention center, along with all ICE detention centers located within residential areas nationwide, until a full public review is completed. This review should examine the physical safety risks as well as the social, financial, psychological, environmental, and academic impacts of placing an ICE detention center within thriving communities. DHS should be required to demonstrate before they place a detention center in a community that it will not harm the local students, residents, or businesses.

Please sign this petition and share it with everyone you know. Every signature lets Congress and DHS know that we demand that student safety comes first in every single community across our nation. #3MileBuffer

Thank you,
Cali Overs

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MEETINGS SCHEDULED:

Rep. Paul Gosar: I have an in-person meeting on March 10th at 1 pm. I submitted a formal request for him to walk with me from the ICE detention center to Dysart High School. I have not received a response back yet. UPDATE: I met with Rep. Gosar's staff member, Penny Pew. Please read about it in the "Updates" section down below.

Sen. Ruben Gallego: I have a virtual meeting with his immigration/homeland security advisor, Zack Linick, on March 16th at 1 pm. UPDATE: I met with three staff members from Senator Gallego's office. Please read about it in the "Updates" section down below.

Sen. Mark Kelly: I have a virtual meeting with his state and regional directors, Luis Heredia and Chelsea Rivas, on March 16th at 1 pm. UPDATE: I met with three staff members from Senator Kelly's office and three staff members from Gallego's office. Please read about it in the "Updates" section down below.

Surprise City Councilmembers Jack Hastings, Nick Haney, and Chris Judd: Our Student Body President and I have a joint in-person meeting with Councilmembers Jack Hastings, Nick Haney, and Chris Judd on April 9th.

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On March 16th, I had the opportunity to meet with staff members from the offices of Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego to discuss the 3-mile buffer zone proposal. Here is who was at the meeting:

Staff for Senator Mark Kelly:

• Mayra Salinas - General Counsel
• Sydney Hess - Legislative Aide
• Chelsea Rivas -  Regional Director

Staff for Senator Ruben Gallego:

• Zack Linick - Senior Homeland Security Advisor
• Genises Yin Vargas - Outreach Adviser
• Jordan-Isaiah Toyos - Outreach Advisor

Here is how the meeting went:

• Both Senators strongly support the 3 mile buffer zone proposal to protect student safety.
• Both Senators strongly oppose having an ICE detention center this close to schools and residential areas.
• Senator Ruben Gallego’s team is currently working to schedule a walk with me from the ICE detention center to Dysart High School so he can see firsthand how close this is to our school and how this will affect us. His team is also coordinating an in-person meeting with him, which I am really looking forward to.
• Unfortunately, due to Senator Mark Kelly’s schedule, he is unable to do a walk.
• Both Senators have been pushing for DHS to pause the ICE detention center until more research is done on how it will impact our community. They will continue pushing for a pause with the new head of DHS, Markwayne Mullin.
• The staff of both offices have committed to staying in communication with me and assisting in every possible way they can. And I believe them.
• They emphasized that bipartisan support will be required in order to get the 3 mile safety buffer zone proposal to move forward. I need to continue reaching out to Republican congressmen for their support. Without it, this will not go anywhere.
• They asked me to look at a bill that was introduced by NH Senators Shaheen and Hassan and that both Senators Kelly and Gallego have signed onto. The bill is S. 3893, the Respect for Local Communities Act (click the link to read it). It says: Before ICE can move forward with a new detention center, they must: 1) accept public comments for at least 30 days, 2) comply with immigration detention standards and environmental regulations, 3) conduct an economic impact analysis and an engineering review that addresses the facility’s impacts on the community; 4) enter into a signed, written agreement with the local or state government in which the facility will be located, and 5) submit a report to Congress with their plans.

I read the bill and fully support it. It’s just common sense. The federal government shouldn’t be able to come into your town, open an ICE detention center right next to your school or house without even telling you, and then say “oh well, deal with it. We can do whatever we want regardless of how it harms your schools, neighborhoods, and businesses.” That's not how a government of the people and by the people is supposed to work. I believe that people on both sides can agree with that.

I wanted to take the time to review that bill before giving this update to see how it aligns with my 3-mile student safety buffer zone. While I fully support the Respect for Local Communities Act, I don’t believe it addresses what we are fighting for, and here is why:

Dysart High School sits on the east side of Dysart Road. It is in El Mirage. The ICE detention center sits directly across the street on the west side of Dysart Road. It is in Surprise. That means the Surprise City Council has the authority to make a major decision that significantly impacts El Mirage students, residents, and business owners, without giving them any voice in the process. That is really unfair.

It also doesn’t address the issue of student safety.

ICE detention centers bring with them safety issues like protestors, heavy media attention, unwanted attention from people with bad intentions, extra traffic for students to dodge while crossing the streets, and even more congested student drop off/pick up lines in the mornings and afternoons. They should never be placed in an area that students have to walk, bike, or drive through in order to get to school.

The risks are not hypotheticals. They are predictable and are entirely avoidable by simply not allowing ICE detention centers within 3 miles of K-12 schools. I asked Congressman Paul Gosar’s office: if our elected leaders ignore these risks and a student gets hurt or their education is impacted by this detention center, whose fault is it? Who do we hold responsible?

I am happy to say that I left the meeting feeling genuinely heard and respected. Every safety concern of the students of Dysart High School was taken seriously and was clearly understood by both Senators. They are fully committed to doing everything within their power to help us. As a 17 year old trying to navigate the world of politics, that meant more to me than I can express.

I will continue reaching out to Republican members of Congress, and I welcome any connections or assistance in making those introductions. Every door open matters.

What's Next:

I have a joint meeting with Surprise City Councilmembers Jack Hastings and Chris Judd on April 9th. It will be with me and our Student Body President, Dana. On March 15th, I sent an email to all six councilmembers requesting an in-person meeting and for their public support of the 3-mile safety buffer zone. I still have not received a response from Mayor Sartor and councilmembers Nick Haney, Earle Greenberg, and Patrick Duffy. I have sent emails twice now to Mayor Sartor requesting an in-person meeting and have not gotten a response back either time. I will keep trying. I am very grateful that Councilmembers Hastings and Judd have agreed to meet with us.

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On March 10th, 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 joint meeting with Senator Ruben Gallego's immigration/homeland security advisor and Senator Mark Kelly's regional and state directors on March 16th.

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MEDIA STORIES:

FOX10 Phoenix: Arizona High School Student Demands Buffer Zone to Keep ICE Away From Schools

AZ Family 3TV and CBS 5 : Student Leader Raises Concerns Over Planned ICE Facility Near Dysart Schools

KTAR News: High school students speak out against new ICE facility in Surprise

FOX 10 Phoenix: $313M ICE detention facility planned for Arizona warehouse divides community

Channel 12 Phoenix: A GOP chair, a student body president, a congressman and others join to demand transparency at the Surprise ICE detention center.

Telemundo Arizona: High School Student Seeks to Ban ICE Centers Near Schools

AZCentral: Surprise ICE facility faces bipartisan opposition from congressman, residents

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CONTACT ME: Click here to send me an email

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***OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP:***

Some of you have given money to Change.org to promote this petition. Please do not give them your money. I really appreciate your support, but Change.org just uses that money to spam the petition to random people.

The two most important things you can do is 1) share this petition with everyone you know and 2) call or email Senator Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly and Congressman Paul Gosar and tell them to support the 3-Mile Safety Buffer Zone legislation:

Congressman Paul Gosar: Send him a message or call his office at 623-707-0530

Senator Ruben Gallego: Send him a message or call his office at 480-697-3600

Senator Mark Kelly: Send him a message or call his office at 602-671-7901

You can also print out this flyer and pass it around!