Officials in communities across the country said ICE has halted plans to convert commercial warehouses into large-scale detention sites.
ICE plans to sell or give away $700 million in empty warehouses
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly plans to sell or give away seven unused warehouse facilities it purchased as part of a major immigration detention expansion.
Unbranded – Newsworthy
During the first three months of 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement purchased nearly a dozen commercial warehouses as part of an effort to rapidly expand detention space.
Now, after intense backlash from local communities, a series of lawsuits, and a change in leadership at the Department of Homeland Security, the agency appears to have abandoned the idea, a dramatic shift from a plan that had already cost more than $1 billion.
Multiple federal, state and local officials announced in June that the project would not move forward, citing discussions with immigration authorities. DHS also indicated in court records that it intends to sell a warehouse it purchased in Romulus, Michigan.
In a statement to multiple media outlets, DHS said it is “moving quickly to work with state and county partners to utilize existing detention space” to support deportation efforts, rather than converting empty warehouses into detention sites.
DHS “remains committed to removing the worst of criminals, illegal aliens, from the United States and is constantly evaluating the best ways to do that,” the agency said, adding, “Once apprehended, these heinous criminals should be removed at lightning speed, rather than held on American soil at taxpayer expense.”
In Social Circle, Georgia, where ICE purchased a more than 1 million square foot warehouse for $128 million, city officials confirmed that the federal government is “no longer pursuing this project.”
“Based on the information provided to the city, it is our understanding that the property may be sold if no other federal agency has an interest in the property,” the city said in a June 18 statement.
On June 22, Sen. John Fetterman said in a statement that ICE has halted plans to convert two warehouses in Pennsylvania into immigration detention centers. The commercial buildings were purchased by the government for a total of $206.9 million, according to real estate records.
“I am pleased to confirm that ICE will not move forward with building detention facilities in Tremont and Upper Byrne townships,” Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said in a statement. “We are grateful that Secretary Mullin recognized the negative impact these facilities would have on Pennsylvania, including the direct threat to local economies and infrastructure, and halted these plans.”
In a June 22 court filing related to a lawsuit against the proposed detention site in Romulus, Michigan, the government said it “no longer intends” to renovate the warehouse and plans to sell it.
Rep. Veronica Escobar said at a recent press conference that plans to build a warehouse in Socorro, Texas, have also been scrapped. On June 18, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued a joint statement citing a New York Times report that ICE had abandoned plans for the Roxbury warehouse along with six other facilities.
“This is a huge victory for public safety, the Roxbury area, and the state of New Jersey,” the statement said.
But while some people were happy to see the plans canceled, others wondered if a warehouse they had purchased in their neighborhood would become a detention center. In Surprise, Arizona, city officials recently said the proposed ICE facility is still in the planning stages and they have no new information to share about its status.
Neither ICE nor DHS responded to USA TODAY’s questions about whether they intend to scrap plans for all 11 warehouses the government purchased this year.
The sudden shift came after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayn Mullin said he would review efforts championed by his predecessor, Kristi Noem, who was ousted by President Donald Trump in March.
Marin said he wants to take ICE “out of the headlines” after months of backlash against the administration’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement. In May, DHS’ Office of Inspector General announced a review of the warehouse purchase to determine whether the plan meets ICE’s “operational needs in a cost-effective manner.”
According to internal documents, ICE originally planned to purchase 24 commercial warehouses across the country and convert them into detention centers, the largest of which would be able to hold up to 10,000 detainees at a time.
However, the initiative soon faced fierce opposition.
Local communities, including Republican strongholds in Georgia and Mississippi, voiced opposition to the plan, holding protests outside warehouses and disrupting city council meetings.
Several states subsequently filed lawsuits alleging that the agency failed to conduct proper environmental reviews, a charge DHS denied. Federal judges in Maryland, New Jersey, and Michigan have blocked or suspended construction of detention centers. In response, the government agreed to conduct an environmental review of the plan, according to court filings.
Private developers have halted sales in at least 11 communities, including Oklahoma City and Kansas City, after local protests.
Several Republican lawmakers, whose district has been eyed as a possible site for the warehouse, opposed the project, often arguing that the warehouse should be used for commercial purposes rather than immigrant detention.
“While I support enforcement of our immigration laws, I am writing to express my opposition to this takeover and detention center project,” Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker wrote to Noem in February, adding that such facilities would place a “significant strain” on local resources.
Not everyone was totally opposed to the project. U.S. Republican Rep. Dan Meuser said he and local officials secured a commitment from DHS to ensure the two ICE facilities planned for Pennsylvania will benefit local communities. After Fetterman announced the cancellation of those projects, Muser said he was still awaiting a final decision.
“We have secured favorable commitments from the (Department of Homeland Security) that will benefit the community if the original plan moves forward,” he said in a statement. “Nevertheless, DHS is engaged in its own evaluation of the site under development in order to cooperate fully.”
In Social Circle, Georgia, where ICE purchased one of its largest warehouses earlier this year, the city said it “expects this asset to eventually return to the local tax base and once again contribute to the economic vitality and long-term success of the Social Circle community.”
Contributors: Irene Wright and Matthew Rink, USA TODAY Network. Jeff Abbott, El Paso Times. Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press
Christopher Cann is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Please contact us at ccann@usatoday.com..
