ICE Abandons Seven Warehouse Detention Sites After Local Opposition

Federal immigration authorities are selling or transferring seven industrial warehouses previously acquired for detention centers, according to The New York Times. The sites are located in Romulus, Michigan; Social Circle and Flowery Branch, Georgia; Hamburg and Tremont, Pennsylvania; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Roxbury, New Jersey.

The Department of Homeland Security reversed course on a roughly $1 billion expansion plan that had included these properties. Officials said the warehouses will no longer be used for detention.

Residents and local officials in several communities had raised concerns about water systems, energy demand, emergency services, and zoning compliance. Some said they learned of the federal purchases only after the transactions were complete. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said the decision to sell the facility followed that lawsuit.

In Utah, Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County sued on June 8, arguing the proposed facility would violate zoning rules and strain infrastructure. Salt Lake City Council Chair Alejandro Puy said the project posed too great a threat to water supply and critical systems.

In New Jersey, Roxbury Township sued with state officials. The township and state attorneys said the warehouse was unsuitable for housing thousands of people and would harm water and sewage systems. In Pennsylvania, officials in Berks and Schuylkill counties cited lack of communication and raised questions about wastewater capacity.

In Georgia, Hall County and Oakwood officials requested additional environmental and infrastructure review.

County, Maryland, a separate ICE warehouse project near Hagerstown remains in court. Local groups have urged county leaders to apply the same review standards now being considered for data centers, including limits on energy use, water consumption, and noise.