{"id":10135,"date":"2026-04-01T15:07:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T19:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/localtalkweekly.com\/?p=10135"},"modified":"2026-04-01T15:07:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T19:07:36","slug":"ice-dhs-sued-over-plans-to-convert-warehouse-into-mass-detention-facility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/localtalkweekly.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/01\/ice-dhs-sued-over-plans-to-convert-warehouse-into-mass-detention-facility\/","title":{"rendered":"ICE & DHS sued over plans to convert warehouse into mass detention facility"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Photo via White House<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRENTON<\/strong> – Days before DHS got new leadership, Governor Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced March 20 that New Jersey and the Township of Roxbury are jointly suing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to halt their illegal plan to convert a vacant warehouse into a large-scale immigration detention facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ICE plans to convert and operate a detention center without addressing serious State and local concerns about water, sewage, and public safety, accounting for the site\u2019s sensitive environment, or considering if this warehouse is an appropriate place for detention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act (ICA), and the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). To remedy these violations, New Jersey and Roxbury are asking the U.S. District Court to stop the federal government from implementing the decision to create a mass detention facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe safety and well-being of New Jerseyans will always be my top priority, and the Trump Administration\u2019s plans for a detention facility in Roxbury will not make our residents safer. Instead, this facility will overburden local services and infrastructure,\u201d said Governor Sherrill. \u201cThese types of facilities also have a long track record of abuse, mistreatment, and unsafe conditions. This is not a partisan issue – Republican leaders in the community are similarly against this facility. That is why we are joining with Roxbury to stop this facility to protect the community and our Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, we join efforts to enforce the law and protect the rights of all New Jerseyans,\u201d said Attorney General Davenport. \u201cFederal laws require – and our State and towns deserve – that DHS and ICE consult with the State and the Township on major projects in their backyard. Instead, DHS and ICE are ramming through a secretive purchase and rushed renovation. We will not allow these ill-considered plans to happen. We have partnered with the Township of Roxbury, relying on the Township\u2019s crucial local knowledge and efficiently combining our resources for this important bipartisan fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The March 20 lawsuit results from the cooperative working relationship between the Township of Roxbury and the Office of the Attorney General. The partnership ensures comprehensive factual development, strong legal arguments, and wide stakeholder engagement. The Township has quickly marshalled powerful facts that show why Roxbury is an inappropriate site for an ICE detention center. The joint effort saves taxpayers money by avoiding duplicative litigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Council and I commend the Governor and the Attorney General for their swift and decisive action to help prevent the placement of an ICE detention center within our suburban community,\u201d said Mayor Shawn Potillo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe remain confident that, through this process, it will be clearly demonstrated that this location is not appropriate for a facility of this nature, given the significant impacts it would have on our residents, local resources, and the surrounding environment. This partnership is also important for Roxbury residents, as the Office of Attorney General can provide significant legal resources that protects Roxbury\u2019s local property taxpayers from shouldering most of this cost alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The State and Township first learned of DHS\u2019s plans for the Roxbury warehouse in a newspaper article. DHS and ICE never told Roxbury Township about the planned purchase and conversion until after the purchase was complete, and repeatedly rebuffed outreach. DHS\u2019s sole official document outlining plans for this project was a two-page letter dated Jan. 14, to the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office, asserting that no historic properties are affected by the planned conversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DHS\u2019s decision to purchase, convert, and operate a detention facility in this warehouse is unlawful for several reasons. As alleged in the complaint:<\/p>\n\n\n\n