What we know about ICE's warehouse buy in Salt Lake City
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Warehouse at 6020 W. 300 South in Salt Lake City. Screenshot: Google Maps
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall on Friday pledged to use "every tool at the city's disposal" to halt an ICE detention facility planned for Utah's capital.
Why it matters: The proposed site would mark the first ICE detention center in Utah and sets up a clash between Salt Lake City leaders who oppose it and state and federal officials who have pushed for one.
Driving the news: The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday purchased a 24.9-acre warehouse near Salt Lake City International Airport (6020 W. 300 South) for $145 million, according to the deed of sale.
- The seller is listed as RREEF CPIF, a Delaware limited liability corporation.
- In a statement to FOX 13, ICE said the site will be used for "very well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards," projecting it could bring almost 10,000 jobs to the area.
- ICE did not respond to Axios' request for further information.
The big picture: The warehouse purchase reflects ICE's $45 billion strategy to increase detention capacity nationwide by buying and converting commercial properties into holding sites.
- The agency has already purchased warehouses in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas and other states.
- Communities across the country have pushed back against the centers with varying success, arguing the conditions are inhumane and that local infrastructure can't support them.
Catch up quick: Rumors swirled in January that ICE was eyeing a vacant warehouse in Salt Lake City for a 7,500-bed facility.
- Amid protests and community backlash, the building's owner said they had no plans to sell or lease the building to the federal government.
- Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson called on Utahns Friday to "summon that same resolve again."
What they're saying: In a statement, Mendenhall said "a detention center does not belong in our capital city — full stop."
- "The use of a warehouse facility for this purpose is also wholly outside the scope of our available resources and zoning allowances," she added.
- A spokesperson for Mendenhall told Axios the city first became aware of the sale on Thursday.
Reality check: The federal government is not bound by local zoning laws, meaning cities have limited legal tools to fight back.
A spokesperson for Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who has been calling for ICE to build a detention facility in the state, did not respond to Axios' request for comment.
By the numbers: An estimated 113,100 undocumented immigrants live in Utah, about 3% of the state population, according to figures from the American Immigration Council.
What we're watching: It's not yet clear how many people the immigration detention center would hold or when it would open.
- While regional processing centers could house 1,000 to 1,500 people, larger facilities may hold up between 7,000 to 10,000 people, per a Trump administration memo.