ICE Finalizes Purchase of Roxbury Warehouse for Planned New Jersey Detention Facility
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has purchased a Roxbury Township, New Jersey warehouse property, confirming days of speculation that it could become an immigration detention camp. After contradictory remarks from federal and municipal officials earlier in the week, the confirmation arrived Friday.
According to federal authorities, ICE bought the Roxbury facility and aims to turn it into an organized detention center that meets agency standards. Officials said the property will be a federally regulated detention facility, not a holding warehouse.
Days of uncertainty preceded the development. ICE was said to have bought the house earlier in the week. However, local officials first said they were notified there was no contract. Roxbury Mayor Shawn Potillo said the property owner had not signed a contract. Later confirmation confirmed the transaction closed.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the facility would be built and improved before opening. The organization estimates that 1,300 construction jobs and $39.2 million in tax revenue will result from the project. ICE also claimed community impact studies and due diligence will analyze infrastructure capacity, including utilities and public safety.
The Roxbury site off Route 46 has drawn resistance from locals and elected officials. A Roxbury Township mayor and council resolution against an immigration detention center. Residents protested how such a project could influence local infrastructure and community resources.
After confirmation, several federal MPs condemned the transaction. They said the federal government should have consulted with local authorities better before closing the deal. Critics have highlighted worries about New Jersey detention facilities and if adding capacity is the correct option.
NJ has two immigration detention centers. GEO Group’s 1,000-bed Delaney Hall in Newark. CoreCivic’s Elizabeth Detention Center is smaller. Plans include for converting the Roxbury warehouse into the state’s third and largest detention center by bed capacity. A previous national analysis estimated that the location might add 1,500 beds, considerably expanding New Jersey’s incarceration capacity.
ICE is expanding to satisfy operational needs, authorities added. They said any new facility will follow custody standards and not be a repository for detainees. Private operation of the Roxbury center has not been confirmed.
The Roxbury facility controversy is part of New Jersey’s immigration enforcement debate. Governor Mikie Sherrill signed an executive order limiting ICE’s use of state property and creating a public database for residents to upload ICE interactions. State lawmakers are also drafting legislation to limit state-federal immigration cooperation.
Despite political opposition, ICE’s announcement that the purchase has closed indicates that federal officials will plan and evaluate the location. Local officials are considering legal alternatives and assessing the project’s impact on Roxbury Township.
No construction or operating dates have been announced. Before the facility opens, federal authorities will perform more studies and examinations.
Community leaders, state officials, and federal authorities continue to discuss immigration detention in New Jersey, which is carefully observed.
Sources:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Roxbury Township Official Statement
Office of U.S. Senator Cory Booker
Office of U.S. Representative Rob Menendez
State of New Jersey Governor’s Office
