Marana to Add A.I. Data Center and ICE Facility in Town of 60,000
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 27
Marana to Add A.I. Data Center and ICE Facility in Town of 60,000
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 27
Marana, Arizona — a town of 60,000 outside Tucson — is set to host both a sprawling A.I. data center and an ICE detention facility at a defunct state prison site.
The two separate projects have jolted a once-placid farm community in southern Arizona, where residents say outside forces are reshaping remaining agricultural land and local politics.
Opposition has split along different lines: liberals have largely condemned the detention center, while the data center has united some conservatives with progressive environmentalists against it.
Unions and business groups back the data center, and the twin fights are unfolding in Representative Juan Ciscomani’s swing House district, a key battleground for control of Congress in November.
How will an ICE detention center and a massive AI data center reshape one Arizona town's resources, identity, and future?
Can a community balance national demands for immigration control and AI infrastructure with its own local values and limited resources?