Scoop: Romulus pushes back as federal document confirms ICE facility plan
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7525 Cogswell St. in Romulus. Photo: Joe Guillen/Axios
A newly uncovered federal document confirms the U.S. government's intent to use a Romulus warehouse as an ICE detention facility — even as the city's mayor said he still doesn't know who owns the property or how many people could be held there.
Why it matters: The disclosure marks the first official federal acknowledgment tied directly to the site near DTW. It sets up a potential clash over local zoning authority and federal power, Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight told Axios Detroit in an exclusive interview Thursday.
The latest: McCraight said the city's legal team located a notice on the Department of Homeland Security website Wednesday night tied to a federally required floodplain review.
- Based on McCraight's description, Axios located a document stating that ICE "proposes to acquire and retrofit the existing warehouse facility at 7525 Cogswell Street, Romulus, Michigan, for use as a Detention Processing Center."
The other side: Neither ICE nor DHS responded to Axios' requests for comment this week.
- The Wayne County Register of Deeds did not respond to an inquiry about the property's owner. Publicly available property records do not indicate federal ownership of 7525 Cogswell St.
- 7525 Cogswell PropCo, LLC recently owned the building, property records show.
The intrigue: The property lies within FEMA-designated flood hazard areas, according to the federal notice, which shows federal officials have already evaluated environmental impacts tied to floodplain regulations.
What they're saying: "I find it ironic that they're using this facility, or they intend to use this facility, to apprehend people who circumvented the process and came in at night, and they kind of did the same thing to the city of Romulus, complete disregard for our zoning requirements and our laws," McCraight said.
- McCraight added that Michigan's U.S. Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) and Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Township) wrote a letter supporting the city's position.
State of play: As of Thursday, McCraight said neither DHS nor ICE has directly contacted the city to outline operational plans, capacity or timeline.
Threat level: Romulus City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the facility earlier this week.
- The mayor said detention use is not permitted under current zoning, and he reiterated the city will not issue a certificate of occupancy unless ordered by a judge. A lawsuit is also on the table.
- "If this were a private use," he said, "we'd fight it the same way."
Friction point: When the city posted a notice on the building citing local ordinance requirements, McCraight said the federal government responded by placing its own notice inside the glass establishing its control of the property.
- The site borders new housing, including roughly 100 recently built homes, and sits near local schools — factors city officials cite in opposing detention use at that location.
Zoom out: The issue has escalated beyond city hall.
- State Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton), who spoke at a protest outside Romulus City Hall on Monday, estimated between 500 and 1,000 people were gathered — one of the largest demonstrations he's seen there.
- Camilleri told Axios Detroit this week that local officials are exploring potential county- and state-level regulatory options.