US suburban town sues Department of Homeland Security over planned immigrant detention facility

A suburban town outside Atlanta has sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over plans to open a detention center for 10,000 immigrants in a community with fewer than 5,500 residents.

In its lawsuit, Social Circle, in the US state of Georgia, argues the proposed ICE facility would overwhelm local infrastructure, leading to “dry taps and raw human waste spills,” NBC News reported on Saturday.

Town officials also claimed that ICE violated state and federal laws while trying to convert a large warehouse into a mega-detention center purchased with $128 million in taxpayer funds.

According to the lawsuit, ICE told the town the facility could open by June 2026, even though no renovation work has started. The filing also noted that ICE paid more than five times the property’s previously assessed value for the site.

“As with any transition, we are reviewing agency policies and proposals,” a DHS spokesperson said, referring to the recent confirmation of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullen.

The Georgia warehouse is part of a larger nationwide plan by ICE to develop eight large-scale detention centers, 16 new processing facilities, and acquire 10 “turnkey” facilities to house 92,600 more immigrants.

It is costing ICE $38.3 billion, according to an ICE overview of the plan included in court documents in the case.