ICE launches multimillion-dollar plan to warehouse immigrants

"The Trump administration has spent millions of taxpayer dollars putting into motion its plan to buy unused commercial warehouses for use as detention centers for those deemed unfit to live in the U.S., despite local opposition. Many of the planned mega warehouse detention centers are located in small cities and towns whose infrastructure cannot support such a population surge, their officials say. A number of them are located close to homes and schools, residents and officials contend."

"The plans drew local opposition across the political spectrum when they became public in December That included a rally last week in Chester, N.Y., where the government plans to detain as many as 1,500 people in a 400,000-square-foot former Pep Boys auto parts warehouse. Despite the pushback, ICE has started a buying spree, according to reports last week in Bloomberg and The Washington Post. As many as 23 warehouses in eight states will have the capacity to detain 80,000 immigrants nationwide, according to the plan."

"The U.S. spent $172 million in January alone to acquire two such warehouses spending $102 million for a warehouse near Hagerstown, Maryland and $70 million for one in Surprise, Arizona. Some of the deals have collapsed as property owners learn what the site is to be used for, Bloomberg reported. That happened with a 550,000-square-foot warehouse in Virginia owned by a Canadian magnate, and owners of a warehouse in Oklahoma City."

The Trump administration has purchased and sought to acquire large unused commercial warehouses to convert into immigration detention centers. Planned facilities are concentrated in small cities and towns, often near homes and schools, raising infrastructure and safety concerns among local officials and residents. Plans envision as many as 23 warehouses across eight states with capacity for roughly 80,000 detainees. The government spent about $172 million in January for two sites and has pursued additional properties, though some sales collapsed when owners learned intended uses. Local opposition has produced rallies and scrutiny, and officials report limited disclosure from ICE citing security concerns.

Read at www.mercurynews.com