ICE cancels – ICE has moved to abandon plans to convert several newly purchased commercial warehouses into large immigrant detention sites, according to federal, state and local officials. The shift follows community backlash, lawsuits and a leadership review inside the Dep
For the communities where ICE had been counting on new warehouse detention space, the news landed like a sudden reversal: the projects weren’t moving forward.
In June. officials in multiple states said the federal government confirmed it was no longer pursuing plans to retrofit empty commercial buildings into detention centers. In court filings tied to a lawsuit involving a warehouse in Romulus. Michigan. the government also indicated it “no longer” intends to retrofit the facility and plans to sell it.
The change marks a retreat from an initiative that—by the time it was fully under public scrutiny—had already been fueled by major purchases and rapid timelines. In the first three months of 2026. ICE purchased nearly a dozen commercial warehouses as part of an effort to rapidly expand detention capacity. and those acquisitions were tied to a broader expansion plan that had already seen spending upwards of $1 billion.
Officials said the federal government is now shifting toward using existing detention space with state and county partners instead of converting warehouses.
The administration’s message on the pivot was blunt. In a statement to multiple news outlets. the Department of Homeland Security said it is “moving swiftly to utilize EXISTING detention space with our state and county partners” to support deportation efforts. rather than converting empty warehouses into detention sites.
DHS also said it “remained singularly focused on removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from the United States and is always evaluating the best methods to do so. ” adding that “These heinous criminals. once arrested. should be removed at lightning speed. not housed on American soil at the taxpayer’s expense.”.
Those explanations did not match the timeline and scale that residents had been hearing. Internal documents referenced in reporting said ICE initially planned to purchase 24 commercial warehouses nationwide and retrofit them into detention centers. with the largest sites designed to hold up to 10. 000 detainees at a time.
As plans spread, opposition accelerated—often in places where local officials had expected economic activity and tax base stability, not a new detention footprint.
In Social Circle, Georgia, ICE purchased a more than 1-million-square-foot warehouse for $128 million. City officials said in June the federal government confirmed it is “no longer pursuing the project.” The city said. “Based on the information provided to the City. it is our understanding that the property could be sold if there are no other federal agencies that express interest in the property. ” according to a statement made June 18. The city added it is “hopeful that the property will ultimately return to the local tax base and once again contribute to the economic vitality and long-term success of the Social Circle community.”.
In Pennsylvania, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania, said on June 22 that ICE canceled plans to convert two warehouses into immigrant detention centers. The commercial buildings were purchased by the government for a combined $206.9 million, according to property records.
Fetterman wrote. “I’m pleased to confirm ICE will not be moving forward with detention facilities in Tremont and Upper Bern townships. ” and said he appreciated that Secretary Mullin recognized what he called the negative impacts such facilities would have in Pennsylvania—“including the direct threat to local economies and infrastructure”—and canceled the plans.
In Romulus, Michigan, the federal pivot also showed up in filings connected to a lawsuit challenging a proposed detention site. A June 22 court filing said the government “no longer” intends to retrofit the warehouse and plans to sell it.
Other parts of the country saw cancellations too. Plans for a warehouse in Socorro, Texas, were scrapped, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar said at a recent news conference.
New Jersey officials pointed to another case where they said the administration stepped back. On June 18, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued a joint statement citing a New York Times report that said ICE had abandoned plans for a warehouse in Roxbury. along with six others. “That is a big win for public safety, for the township of Roxbury, and for New Jersey,” their statement said.
Yet for some places, not every door had fully closed. In Surprise, Arizona, city officials said a proposed ICE facility was still in the planning stage and that they had no new information to share about its status, even as other jurisdictions reported cancellations.
The government’s warehouse retreat is also tied to a broader internal review and leadership shift inside DHS.
The abrupt change came after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he would review initiatives championed by his predecessor. Kristi Noem. who President Donald Trump ousted in March. Mullin has said he wants to keep ICE “out of the headlines” following months of backlash tied to the administration’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement.
In May, DHS’s Office of the Inspector General announced a review of the warehouse purchases to determine whether the plans met ICE’s “operational need in a cost-effective manner.”
The pressure that built around the effort was not only political. Multiple states filed lawsuits claiming the agency failed to conduct proper environmental reviews, and DHS denied those allegations. Federal judges in Maryland, New Jersey and Michigan blocked or paused construction of detention sites. After those court actions, the government agreed to conduct environmental reviews of its plans, according to court filings.
Community resistance became a recurring feature in the story of these purchases. Local officials described protests outside warehouses and setbacks to city council meetings. In at least 11 communities—including Oklahoma City and Kansas City—private developers backed out of sales following local protests.
Even some lawmakers who opposed the initiative argued the warehouses should serve commercial purposes rather than immigration detention. In a February letter to Noem, Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi wrote in opposition to an acquisition and a proposed detention center. saying such a facility would put “significant strain” on local resources.
Not all Republicans aligned with the cancellation. Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser said he and local officials secured commitments from DHS to ensure that two planned ICE facilities in Pennsylvania would benefit local communities. After Fetterman announced the projects were scrapped, Meuser said he was still awaiting a final decision. Meuser added in a statement. “Should the initial plan move forward. we secured favorable commitments from [the Department of Homeland Security] that would be beneficial to our community. ” and said. “Nevertheless. in an effort to fully cooperate. DHS is engaged in their own evaluation of the sites being developed.”.
Behind the scenes, the shift in strategy also included a financial element. ICE plans to sell or transfer $700 million in empty warehouses that were purchased as part of the expansion effort. The reporting described seven unused warehouse facilities that were bought for rapid detention growth.
Multiple federal. state and local officials said in June that ICE canceled plans to convert commercial warehouses into large detention sites. often after discussions with immigration authorities. DHS also indicated in court records that it intends to sell a warehouse it purchased in Romulus, Michigan.
For now. officials celebrating cancellations are left watching what happens next: whether the purchased properties truly return to local plans for commercial use. or whether uncertainty lingers in jurisdictions that haven’t received clear answers. And while some communities say they are hopeful the properties will return to the tax base. other cities remain unsure whether their warehouse sites will face a different fate.
ICE and DHS did not respond to questions about whether they plan to scrap plans for all 11 warehouses the government purchased this year.
ICE DHS immigrant detention warehouses detention centers Markwayne Mullin Kristi Noem lawsuits environmental review Romulus Michigan Social Circle Georgia Tremont Upper Bern Social Circle property sale deportation space