Evidence of fire stunt found at ICE facility in Arizona

SURPRISE, Ariz. (CNN, KYMA) - A future ICE processing center in Surprise, Arizona is now the target of vandalism and a suspected arson attempt.

Surprise City Councilmember Johnny Melton hopes a pile of shattered glass beneath a busted window at the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) future ICE facility is not a criminal message.

"Most of this community supports the president's immigration policies. However, there is a lot of members of the community who do not want this [in Surprise] and they're all over the community," Councilmember Melton remarked.

DHS bought the building on Sweetwater Drive, near Dysart and Cactus Road, last month for $70 million, with plans to turn it into an ICE processing center.

It's been a controversial topic, heating up neighbors at City Council meetings.

"We are doing everything we can, in a peaceful legal way, to deal with this situation," Melton expressed.

The damage and a small fire Phoenix FBI agents say was also started before 2 a.m. Saturday morning clearly isn't peaceful or legal.

Melton would like to think no one in his community was behind it.

"I don't know if this person who vandalized, and attempted to do arson, even cares about this issue. As far as I know, this could be someone using it as an excuse to cause damage," Melton explained.

Retaliation against ICE has been carried out in the form of vandalism in other states.

The latest also happening Saturday morning in Idaho where a building DHS is renting was spray painted and had its windows smashed.

If the vandalism in Surprise is a demonstration of protest against ICE, Melton says the message should have been sent in a peaceful manner.

"Criminal acts, that's going to hurt their cause. Breaking windows and trying to light fires, that doesn't help anybody," Melton spoke.