May 3, 2026, 5:01 a.m. PTCali Overs joined her high school student council for fun. It wasn't meant to be too serious a gig.That perception changed over time as she increasingly realized the importance of leadership and advocating for her peers, especially those who can't or feel like they don't have the power to speak up for themselves.Overs, 17, is doing just that ― and not just for her fellow students at Dysart High School. The student body vice president is fiercely pushing back against the planned ICE center for processing immigrant detainees in Surprise, about a mile away from her school and in proximity to a handful of others.Being the 'voice of the student body'The Department of Homeland Security quietly purchased a 418,400-square-foot warehouse in January, and officials said it would be converted into a facility holding no more than 542 beds. ICE originally said it would be 1,500 beds, then said it would be between 500 and 1,500.DHS bought the property off Dysart Road and Sweetwater Avenue for over $70 million in cash as part of a national effort to expand detention space.The news surprised local and state leaders and quickly prompted fear in Over's peers. Hispanic students make up over 60% of Dysart High School's population, according to data from the Arizona Department of Education.In response, Overs has spoken out against the facility at nearly every Surprise City Council meeting since the federal government's purchase was reported, demanded that school leaders issue public statements reminding students of their rights and has shared her concerns alongside other student leaders, activists and elected leaders in front of the warehouse.She has called on federal lawmakers to push for a three-mile buffer between ICE facilities and K-12 schools, walk with her to see how close ICE's building is to Dysart High School and demand DHS pause all work on these facilities until thorough reviews are completed.Over the course of weeks, Overs has met with staff from the offices of U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, whose district includes the site of ICE's building, and Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego. She stood alongside Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes as the Democrat announced her lawsuit against the Trump administration to stop the facility.It hasn't been easy. The results of some meetings have been disappointing, as with Gosar's team, while she has walked out of others, like Kelly's and Gallego's teams, feeling hopeful, according to Overs. And when Mayes announced her legal action, Overs said she felt "way more optimistic."Like anyone, Overs said she tries not to read social media comments reacting to her efforts. She's been threatened online before, such as someone telling her they hoped she'd get shot ― a threat that investigators determined didn't meet the threshold for criminal threatening, according to Surprise police spokesperson Sgt. Rick Hernandez.But according to Overs, all the work she is putting in is part of the job."I was elected to be the voice of the student body and that's exactly what I'm doing," Overs told The Arizona Republic.Overs ensures Surprise hears student perspective on ICE facilityOvers has a 4.3 GPA and wants to attend Arizona State University after she graduates in May 2026 to double major in political science and environmental studies. A lover of nature, she wants to help protect it by becoming an environmental lawyer.She led with her GPA in her first round of concerns about the planned ICE facility shared with the Surprise City Council, so she wouldn't be brushed off as "young and dumb." The Feb. 3 meeting was the first since DHS's purchase was made and was weeks after federal agents killed U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota."Who's to say they won't harm the students of Surprise and El Mirage?" Overs said. "Who's to say that they won't come after my school, that's supposed to be a safe place for all?"Overs returned to the next council meeting on Feb. 17, days after the City Council voted to send Mayor Kevin Sartor's letter to former DHS head Kristi Noem. She was one of over two dozen speakers who expressed disappointment and urged the City Council to take a stronger stance against the federal government's plans.To her, it seemed like there was no care for how the facility would affect students. Many already walk past it on their way to and from school, she said. Dysart High School students who live within two miles of the school are not eligible for bus transportation, a district savings decision following bond failures.She asked Surprise leaders to do whatever they could to push back because no one wants to be near an ICE facility that "our president claims is holding rapists, murderers, sex traffickers and gang members in a warehouse that was never built to be a secure facility."The next meeting, on March 3, Overs shared how she wanted to meet with the Surprise City Council and discuss how they would work with the school district and protect students. Overs also described how she was taking the issue to the federal level with her petition requesting Gosar, Kelly and Gallego to take action.She raised a question to those who support ICE and the facility: if a government decision affects students, do you put politics first, or student safety?Overs has expressed frustration in snagging a meeting with Surprise councilmembers, including the mayor. At the April 7 council meeting, she thanked a few of them for agreeing to meet, but she called out Sartor for failing to get back to her and accused him of avoiding her.Overs first reached out to Sartor and the councilmembers on Feb. 28, according to emails she shared with The Republic. She also sent follow-up requests.Surprise spokesperson Virginia Mungovan said April 10 that Sartor's office reached out to Overs that morning to coordinate a time to meet. His schedule had been busy the "past few weeks," according to Mungovan.Their meeting still left her frustrated. According to Sartor, her school district's Safety Coordinator, there was no plan in place to protect students who would have to travel past the facility when they head to and from school."They really do not care about what happens to us or how badly this will impact our education," Overs said.Student wants school, district to take actionThere's been silence from within the Dysart High School administration and the school district, Overs said.Overs said she asked her principal to remind students of their rights, have an administrator attend a Surprise City Council meeting to represent students and hold a Q&A session so students could discuss their concerns and be reassured.She received a response, but it wasn't what she wanted to hear. Overs tried the district and told leaders their silence was "deafening" and again asked for a public statement. No response.A few teachers do support Overs and share her concerns, she said, but teachers aren't allowed to speak on political issues."Even though this is not a partisan issue. It's safety and student security," Overs said.District spokesperson Renee Ryon said they would not comment on the ICE facility or Overs' concerns. She said in a statement that the district was dedicated to "providing a high-quality education in a safe and supportive environment for all students."Like the Surprise City Council, the district has also heard various concerns from parents and residents during board meetings about the proximity of the ICE facility to Dysart schools.The board hasn't publicly discussed the project. Board member Denise Destiche requested during a March 30 meeting that a future item be added to the agenda to allow them to discuss their positions on the facility, but it hasn't been added to any agenda since.DHS planned to open the facility around September, when Overs would already be in college. But leadership changes, a lack of funding and any possible judge orders from Mayes' lawsuit would push that day back.A delay was already in place. DHS tapped GardaWorld Federal Services LLC, a private security firm tied to Florida's controversial "Alligator Alcatraz," to prepare the building under a one-year $313 million contract, which could be extended to 2029 and increased to $704 million. But records show that the federal government issued a stop-work order just days before Mayes' lawsuitWhenever it opens or even if it opens, distance won't stop Overs' advocacy."I won't be able to be as much of a voice, even though I'm gonna be all the way in Tempe, I do plan to still fight for them."Elena Santa Cruz covers the West Valley cities of Glendale, Surprise and Peoria. Reach her at elena.santacruz@arizonarepublic.com or follow her on X @ecsantacruz3.Like this story? Get more West Valley news straight into your email inbox by signing up for our free weekly West Valley Newsletter, which comes out on Tuesdays.