Politics & Government
NJ Moves To Halt ICE Jail Construction
State officials described the move as "emergency relief," adding that the DHS plans to begin building the detention center in May.
MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — New Jersey officials are seeking a court-ordered pause on the construction of an immigrant detention facility in Morris County.
The preliminary injunction motion comes weeks after the state filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), claiming its facility plans are unlawful.
If the motion is approved by the U.S. District Court, DHS would not yet be able to begin converting a Roxbury warehouse into a detention center for those rounded up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Find out what's happening in Morristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Officials described the injunction as “emergency relief,” adding that the DHS plans to begin converting the warehouse as early as May.
New Jersey is following in the footsteps of the Maryland Attorney General, who also filed a preliminary injunction motion while suing DHS over similar warehouse conversion plans.
Find out what's happening in Morristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The opposition to the facility comes from concerns about Roxbury's finances and its resources, according to both local and state officials.
“The Trump Administration has ignored State and local officials in pushing its ill-conceived plan forward because it knows the local impacts are indefensible, and this facility will not make the community safer,” said Governor Mikie Sherrill. “We are standing up for New Jerseyans in a bipartisan manner to ensure their drinking water, public safety, and pocketbooks are protected.”
Background
In February, the Department of Homeland Security purchased a Roxbury warehouse for $129 million with the intention of converting it into a detention center for immigrants. The plans indicate it will house up to 1,500 immigrants at a time, and employ roughly 1,000 staff members.
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.
The town of Roxbury, which is joining state officials in the lawsuit against the Trump Administration, said it "will not passively accept this outcome."
An extreme concern from town and state officials is the impact the facility will have on local resources and infrastructure, and therefore, on the town's finances.
Both the state and Roxbury project that the site 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.
However, ICE told Patch recently that it had "carefully evaluated the use of existing facilities to help minimize environmental impacts, including potential impacts to protected species, sensitive natural resources, and valued cultural resources," before the purchase.
Federal officials also told Patch previously that the Roxbury detention center will bring 1,300 jobs to the area, contribute $161.2 million to GDP, and bring in more than $39.2 million in tax revenue.
The Lawsuit
On March 20, Sherrill, Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, and the town of Roxbury announced that they would be suing ICE over their plans to build the facility.
The suit highlights violations of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act (ICA), and the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
It says the facility lacks adequate water or sewage access, would produce harmful wastewater that could damage Lake Hopatcong and Lake Musconetcong, and could create dangerous traffic in an already high-traffic area, to name a few concerns.
Read More: NJ Takes Trump To Court Over New ICE Prison
ICE officials, however, say opposers are "feigning concern" over the facility.
"Let’s be honest about this. This case isn’t about the environment. It’s about trying to stop President Trump from making America safe again," an ICE representative wrote in an email to Patch. "The left didn’t care about the mountains of litter that illegal aliens dropped on ranches and riverbeds during Biden’s border crisis. They’re feigning concern now because they want those same illegal aliens to stay forever and vote here."
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