Trump Administration Plans to Dispose of Some Warehouses Acquired for Detention Centers
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is reversing a plan to use warehouses to house up to 10,000 people at a single site, thereby discarding a key element of the $38 billion plan by former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to rapidly expand detention capacity this year. The federal government, which was sued by the state of Michigan and a suburb of Detroit, informed a judge on Monday that it will sell a warehouse acquired in Romulus. Plans are also falling apart in Social Circle, Georgia, and Socorro, a suburb of El Paso, according to local officials. These three cities are among the 11 where the federal government spent a combined total of $1.074 billion on warehouses. Last week, The New York Times reported that federal immigration officials now plan to dispose of seven of the 11 warehouses, either transferring them to other federal agencies or selling them outright. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not confirm the reports but stated that it is 'acting quickly to utilize existing detention space in collaboration with our state and county partners.' The backlash against the warehouse purchases was immediate, with Claire Trickler-McNulty, a former ICE official, calling the plans to convert buildings into immigrant detention centers 'extremely reckless.' Many communities were caught off guard by Noem's acquisitions, which were largely made without public input. After Noem's removal, her successor, Markwayne Mullin, quickly suspended the purchase of new warehouses. Objections came from both Republicans and Democrats, with some opposing ICE's presence on moral grounds and others questioning whether the facilities would burden local resources. Seven federal lawsuits were filed, and regulatory hurdles caused complications elsewhere. Meanwhile, concerns about the prices paid by DHS for some warehouses prompted an internal audit. The agency paid double the assessed value for a warehouse in New Jersey and nearly five times the appraised value for the Social Circle warehouse. Trickler-McNulty noted that while the agency has some inherited facilities from its predecessor, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, it has generally outsourced its detention needs. 'Facilities with a capacity for over 2,000 people simply collapse. It is very difficult to manage such a large center, keep it staffed, and make everything work,' she stated. Mullin, who took over the family plumbing business before representing Oklahoma in Congress, acknowledged during his confirmation hearing that issues had arisen. He pointed out that most municipalities lack the necessary infrastructure to manage water supply and sewage. In fact, water-related problems posed such a challenge that, in a federal lawsuit following the acquisition of the Salt Lake City warehouse, the most expensive at $145.4 million, ICE officials communicated to the mayor the possible need to truck in water and sewage from the facilities as a 'temporary solution.' Plans are beginning to crumble, with The New York Times article citing internal documents indicating that the Salt Lake City warehouse is among those federal immigration authorities plan to transfer or sell. The list also includes the Romulus warehouse, as well as one in New Jersey and two each in Georgia and Pennsylvania. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel stated it would have been an 'abomination' if the 249,000-square-foot Romulus warehouse had become an immigrant detention center as planned when it was acquired for $34.7 million. 'The ICE warehouse proposal was as misguided as it was cruel and unnecessary, and I am relieved that this chapter is coming to an end,' Nessel, a Democrat, said. The city of Social Circle, Georgia, announced last week that it had received notification from Republican federal representative Mike Collins that the Department of Homeland Security no longer plans to establish an ICE detention center there. Additionally, ICE's interim director, David Venturella, informed local authorities in the El Paso area during a visit earlier this month that the agency has modified its plans for three warehouses acquired in nearby Socorro for $122 million, according to Representative Veronica Escobar, who was present during the visit. Escobar, a Democrat representing El Paso, stated at a press conference that ICE no longer plans to detain up to 8,500 immigrants at those facilities as originally intended; instead, it will convert the property into an ICE operational complex. The site will house a smaller unspecified number of detainees but will also include agency offices and training spaces, she noted. However, many communities continued to feel frustrated over difficulties in obtaining information about potential sales. In Pennsylvania, state and local officials reported on Tuesday that they had not received new information from DHS regarding two warehouses purchased by the agency earlier this year. Both projects are stalled due to the state's denial of necessary permits, amid concerns that the potable water and sewage services would be insufficient to support thousands of people. U.S. Representative Dan Meuser, whose district encompasses both warehouses, stated he met with DHS staff on Friday, but the agency had yet to decide whether to use them as detention centers or sell them. In Georgia, the city manager of Oakwood stated on Tuesday that he is speaking with the state legislative delegation to try to confirm rumors that a warehouse located in the area will be sold. 'I still haven't heard anything,' said B.R. White. Work seems to continue on other warehouses. In Maryland, where a judge extended a halt on construction to transform a large warehouse into an immigrant processing center, ICE is currently gathering public comments on the environmental impact of the facilities. Additionally, an announcement made earlier this month revealed more details about the plans for the center, including the construction of six secure recreational yards. Patrick Dattilio, founder of Hagerstown Rapid Response, a group formed to oppose ICE detainee housing in the warehouse, noted that there has been little communication outside of the ongoing litigation. Nevertheless, he remains determined to prevent the center from opening. 'It's a huge warehouse,' Dattilio said. 'It's not meant to house people.'
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
