Romulus Detention Halted
Federal officials abandon plans for large Romulus ICE detention center following lawsuit
Key Points
A February regulatory assessment described a specific retrofit plan for the Romulus warehouse: to convert a 473,158-square-foot building and create a “secure operational area” on about 19 acres, including 3,800 linear feet of new perimeter security fencing and wastewater upgrades.
The lawsuit effort helped slow the project as DHS/ICE delayed action after Nessel sought a court order: a stop order was briefed in April, DHS and ICE then agreed to delay initiating construction—pushing the start from June to later through the end of July.
DHS/ICE justified its shift by reiterating its detention mission, saying the agency remained focused on “removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens” and that it is “always evaluating the best methods,” while moving to “utilize EXISTING detention space” with state and county partners.
State Sen. Darrin Camilleri criticized the plan at the time of earlier reports, describing it as “an ill-constructed jail” that would expand ICE operations across southeast Michigan.
ICE has abandoned plans to turn a Detroit-area warehouse into a large immigration detention center, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced on June 18. The federal government will sell the 473,158-square-foot building at 7525 Cogswell Street in Romulus instead of converting it into a facility for up to 500 detainees, according to Michigan Advance.
Nessel called the reversal "a victory for the entire metro region." The decision follows a federal lawsuit she filed alongside the City of Romulus in March, challenging the project on legal, environmental, and community-safety grounds. ICE had purchased the warehouse in February without giving public notice to state or local officials.
A Warehouse Unfit for Hundreds of Detainees
The Romulus warehouse was a poor fit from the start, opponents argued. The building sat inside a floodplain, within one mile of an elementary school and a middle school, and in a residential neighborhood. Inside, it had just six bathrooms and a six-inch sewer line — infrastructure that critics said was nowhere near enough for 500 people, according to News From The States.
A federal regulatory assessment from March 9 laid out the retrofit plan in detail. It called for 3,800 linear feet of new perimeter security fencing, wastewater upgrades, and a secure operational area on about 19 acres. The lawsuit, filed March 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, argued the project violated the National Environmental Policy Act and the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, which require federal agencies to notify state and local governments before acting.
Lawsuit and Delay Pressure Forced ICE's Hand
After Nessel filed suit, the legal pressure mounted fast. In April, she sought a court order to stop all construction. ICE and DHS then agreed to push back the construction start date — originally set for June — to at least late July. Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight said the city would never issue a certificate of occupancy for the site, according to CBS News.
The legal challenge gave opponents several angles to attack. The lawsuit pointed to inadequate notice, floodplain concerns, proximity to schools, and procedural violations under federal environmental law. Together, those arguments slowed the project long enough for ICE to walk away entirely. Nessel said the lawsuit will stay active until DHS and ICE sign a written agreement confirming the warehouse will never be used for detention.
DHS Pivots to Existing Facilities Amid Wider Retreat
DHS framed the Romulus reversal as a strategic shift, not a defeat. The agency said it is "moving swiftly to utilize EXISTING detention space" with state and county partners rather than building new sites. A DHS statement said the agency remained focused on "removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens" while "always evaluating the best methods," according to News From The States.
Romulus is not an isolated case. ICE is offloading seven of the 11 warehouses it bought nationwide — including sites in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Utah — after spending over $1 billion to acquire them. The seven properties being sold are valued at roughly $700 million. The collapse of the warehouse detention model follows sustained legal and community opposition across multiple states, according to Yahoo News.
Critics Celebrate, but Community Weighs the Trade-Offs
State Sen. Darrin Camilleri had called the facility "an ill-constructed jail" that would expand ICE operations across southeast Michigan. U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduced the "Ban Warehouse Detention Act" in April to block similar projects nationwide. Both lawmakers welcomed the June 18 announcement as a sign that sustained opposition works, according to Michigan Advance.
The win comes with a trade-off. ICE had claimed the facility would create 1,458 jobs, generate $150 million in economic activity, and bring in $33 million in tax revenue for the region. Those projections are now off the table. But Nessel and local leaders said the strain on police, fire, and public infrastructure that a 500-person detention site would have created made the rejection worthwhile, according to CBS News.
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