ICE Sued Over Proposed Detention Center
Source: Newsweek
Published Mar 20, 2026 at 01:32 PM EDT updated Mar 20, 2026 at 02:13 PM EDT
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced Friday that she and state Attorney General Jennifer Davenport were suing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over its plan to convert a warehouse into an immigrant detention center. Sherrill and Davenport, both Democrats, alleged that the agency, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), had not addressed local concerns in Roxbury around water, sewage, and public safety.
“The safety and well-being of New Jerseyans will always be my top priority, and the Trump Administration’s plans for a detention facility in Roxbury will not make our residents safer. Instead, this facility will overburden local services and infrastructure,” Sherrill said in a press release.
DHS has moved to rapidly expand its immigration detention centers, following an influx of funding under President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act and a rapid increase in detentions over the past year.
While some existing facilities have been expanded, the use of warehouses and temporary structures has caused concern among lawmakers and immigration advocates. Newsweek reached out to DHS for comment via email on Friday afternoon.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/ice-sued-over-proposed-detention-center-11712570
Link to NJ AG Davenport PRESS RELEASE - Governor Sherrill, Attorney General Davenport, Roxbury Township Sue ICE, DHS Over Plans to Convert Warehouse into Mass Detention Facility
Link to SUIT (PDF) - https://www.njoag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-0320_Complaint.pdf