Georgia towns stop plans to turn warehouses into ICE detention centres
Federal officials have listed two large warehouses for sale after local opposition to immigration detention proposals in Douglas and Jackson counties.
Federal officials have cancelled plans to convert two large warehouses in Georgia into immigration detention centres, according to the Times of India. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has now listed both properties as surplus government property available for sale.
The cancelled project included a warehouse in Lithia Springs, Douglas County, which was designed to hold up to 10,000 people. A second property in Braselton, Jackson County, was also part of the proposal. The Lithia Springs facility covered more than 360,000 square feet and was purchased in 2020 for nearly $13.5 million.
Local residents and elected officials in both counties opposed the plans. Douglas County Commissioner Kelly Mitchell-Garnett told federal officials, "We simply don’t want it." Residents in Braselton argued the facility would impact local infrastructure and the peaceful nature of their community.
Congressman David Scott worked in Congress to block the conversion plans. He said the plan to open a facility in Douglas County is dead and stated he was proud to have led the fight to block a facility that did not belong in his district.
The decision follows concerns regarding government spending. A Government Accountability Office report released in September confirmed federal agencies lost $20 million in unrecoverable costs after purchasing warehouses they no longer intended to use.
The GSA is currently working to sell the sites. The Braselton warehouse, which includes offices and light industrial space, has a starting auction bid of $11 million. No starting bid has been listed for the Lithia Springs property.