ICE Buys North Jersey Warehouse For Detention Center, Sparking Bipartisan Outcry

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — After a week of confusion regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) buying a Roxbury warehouse to use as a detention facility, it appears a deal has finally been struck.

State and local officials have confirmed that ICE has officially purchased the Roxbury warehouse two days after a Gothamist report falsely claimed it had been purchased earlier.

Related: ICE Supposedly Purchased This NJ Warehouse. Then Things Got Complicated

“Let us be clear: Roxbury Township will not passively accept this outcome,” a Roxbury Township statement read. “ We must reiterate in the strongest possible terms that this property is not an appropriate location for a facility of this nature in a suburban community and is an unapproved use. Its placement within a residential area, combined with significant limitations in water and sewer infrastructure, should have been immediate and disqualifying considerations."

The township projects that the project will account for a $1.8 million annual loss in tax revenue—impacting the Township, school district, and county—representing an estimated $85 million loss over the next 30 years.

The purchase comes after months of pushback from residents, town officials, and state representatives. It traces back to a December Washington Post report that said the 470,000-square-foot warehouse was being eyed by ICE as one of many warehouse-turned immigration facilities across the country.

Plans acquired by TAPinto Roxbury say the facility will function as a “regional processing center,” working in conjunction with New Jersey’s ICE detention centers in Elizabeth and Newark. The report adds that the facility will have “an average daily population of 1,000 to 1,500 detainees for average stays of three to seven days.”

According to the township, officials offered the warehouse owner, Dalfen Industrial, 10 years’ worth of tax abatement at a total of approximately $20 million on the building in a "good faith" attempt to keep them from selling. Officials called Dalfen's decision to sell "extremely disappointing" and one that "is not reflective of a good community partner."

It’s not clear exactly how much ICE paid Dalfen Industrial, but Senator Corey Booker says the deal is “worth tens of millions of dollars.”

“I’ve toured the site. I’ve met with local leaders and residents. And the opposition is unanimous—this is wrong morally, fiscally, and for the safety of this community. ,” Booker said. “ICE has ignored every concern. The agency also ignored multiple requests from my office to coordinate a meeting for township leaders to express these concerns. This agency doesn’t just lack oversight, it lacks conscience.”

Related: Senator Cory Booker Slams ICE Activity In Morris County

Alongside Booker in opposing the facility is Congressman Rob Menendez, who calls the initial claim that the facility had not been bought last week the “latest lie and betrayal of the public’s trust by the Trump Administration.”

"(Department of Homeland Security) and ICE have repeatedly and maliciously lied to the American public while they continue to relentlessly attack our communities. But we will never relent in our fight for justice and for our neighbors,” Menendez said. “We will continue our initiative to stop the warehousing of our community members. We will continue our fight to stop this abhorrent plan.”

Residents have also been adamant in opposing the facility, with nearly 500 residents taking part in an anti-ICE demonstration on Presidents' Day in Roxbury. Several residents have also attended Roxbury council meetings to voice their concerns and frustrations with the federal agency’s plans.

Republican Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia has also voiced her concerns about the Roxbury facility, which do not necessarily mirror those uttered by Booker, Menendez, and several residents.

She says she strongly supports ICE’s border and immigration enforcement, and that her apprehension is due to the limits of water, sewer, and real capacity regarding the facility.

“You don’t want this facility here for your reasons. I don’t want it here for mine,” she said. “You can support immigration enforcement and still acknowledge that this Roxbury warehouse is the wrong location. Those two things aren’t mutually exclusive… If you want to talk about what the Highlands can actually sustain long term, about water and infrastructure and the hard limits of this region, pull up a chair. We have work to do.”

Another Republican, Randolph Mayor, and NJ-11 Congressional candidate Joe Hathaway, also opposes the Roxbury facility.

"Make no mistake, we need to get illegal criminals off our streets, but we also need to work with our local partners to make sure we're doing right by our communities and American citizens," Hathaway said. "In this case, DHS failed to consider the real-life implications of this center, and I will always fight for practical solutions that put NJ-11 first."

It’s yet to be made clear exactly what avenues officials will take to resist the facility, now that the warehouse has been purchased.

Tasked with pushing back against ICE's plans is Roxbury Township attorney Anthony Bucco, who also happens to serve as the highest-ranking Republican in the State Senate.

"The Township Council and our legal team have been preparing to pursue all available legal remedies," Roxbury officials said in a statement. "We are ready to challenge this matter in court and will act swiftly and aggressively to stop the development of a detention center in Roxbury Township.

Patch has reached out to Bucco to learn what steps are being taken to fight against the facility, and has not heard back at this time.

Patch has also reached out to ICE for additional details on the project and is awaiting a response.

TAPinto Roxbury says the facility is expected to be up and running by November of this year.

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