ICE begins to purchase warehouses, but some owners are backing out of deals

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has quietly expanded its detention network across more than 20 towns nationwide, often purchasing massive warehouses with little or no advance notice to local communities. The agency’s $45 billion expansion plan has sparked controversy and resistance in multiple states.

In Arizona, state Attorney General Kris Mayes reported that officials in Surprise learned nothing before ICE purchased a 418,000-square-foot warehouse for $70 million in their community. Documents later revealed plans for a $150 million retrofit to create a 1,500-bed processing facility.

The pattern of secrecy has repeated across the country. In Georgia, ICE bought a massive warehouse in Social Circle for $128.6 million, with plans to house between 7,500 and 10,000 detainees using modular construction that can be scaled as needed. Similarly, city officials in Oakwood first learned of potential federal plans when a warehouse supervisor told a city inspector to clear the site for new government owners.

The lack of transparency has generated significant pushback from local communities and elected officials. In New Hampshire, Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte publicly disputed ICE’s claim that the agency had worked with her office on plans for a 500-bed processing center in Merrimack, which would cost $158 million. Ayotte revealed that ICE sent her an economic impact summary only after testifying to Congress that they had coordinated with her, and the document erroneously referenced “Oklahoma economy” benefits and non-existent state taxes.

“Let us be clear: Roxbury Township will not passively accept this outcome,” declared officials in the New Jersey community after ICE completed the purchase of a warehouse there, just days after the agency had claimed its previous announcement of the acquisition was a “mistake.”

In some communities, warehouse owners have refused to sell their properties after learning ICE’s intentions. In Minnesota, owners in Woodbury and Shakopee withdrew from potential deals following public opposition. Similarly, Platform Ventures canceled plans to sell a warehouse in Kansas City, Missouri, after weeks of community pressure. In Virginia, Jim Pattison Developments announced a transaction “will not be proceeding” after learning of the government’s intended use for a Richmond-area warehouse and facing boycott threats.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has promised to fight federal plans to convert warehouses in rural eastern parts of his state into detention facilities. DHS has already purchased a warehouse in Tremont Township for $119.5 million and another in Upper Bern Township for $87.4 million.

In Texas, ICE spent $122.8 million for three warehouses in Socorro totaling over 826,000 square feet, and another $66.1 million for a warehouse in San Antonio. The mayors of both cities have expressed opposition to the facilities. However, in nearby Hutchins, California-based Majestic Realty Co. declined to sell or lease buildings to DHS for detention use.

The scale of ICE’s warehouse acquisitions represents a significant expansion of the agency’s detention infrastructure, with individual facilities costing between $66 million and $128 million. The rapid pace of purchases and their secretive nature has left many communities scrambling to respond, with some succeeding in blocking the facilities while others find themselves with few options after deals are completed.

For communities like Roxbury Township and Social Circle, the arrival of detention centers capable of holding thousands of people represents a major shift in local dynamics with minimal opportunity for public input or preparation. As ICE’s expansion continues, the tension between federal immigration enforcement priorities and local community concerns appears likely to intensify.