ICE drops plans to turn SLC warehouse into detention center
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The Department of Homeland Security is abandoning plans to convert an empty Salt Lake City warehouse into an ICE detention center, according to a new court filing.
Why it matters: The proposed facility would have marked Utah's first immigration detention center, holding between 7,500 to 10,000 people, despite staunch opposition from local leaders.
- It's a sharp reversal from the department's accelerated plans to have the warehouses it purchased operational before the end of the year as part of President Trump's mass deportation push.
Driving the news: In a Wednesday filing, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County and DHS asked a judge to put a 60-day pause on a lawsuit the city and county filed in June to halt the warehouse conversion. They alleged the facility would strain resources.
- The request comes after attorneys for DHS alerted the city and county last month that the agency no longer intends to pursue the conversion and instead plans to designate the facility as "excess property."
The latest: At a Thursday news conference, Gov. Spencer Cox, who supports an ICE detention facility in Utah, said he couldn't comment on the litigation, but was "grateful for the conversations" with DHS.
- He noted the Biden administration also recognized the need for a facility but that it had to be "the right size, in the right place."
- "I know that those conversations are happening," he said. "They haven't gone very far, so there's no location or place that we're aware of."
When asked for comment Thursday, DHS gave Axios the same statement it provided to the outlet in June: "DHS is moving swiftly to utilize EXISTING detention space with our state and county partners."
- Spokespeople for the city and county declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
Catch up quick: DHS purchased an empty 833,000-square-foot warehouse near the airport for $145.4 million in March.
- The plans were put on hold amid a review by DHS of warehouse purchases made under former department Secretary Kristi Noem.
What they're saying: Dominique Byrd, executive director at Comunidades Unidas, calls the change in plans “a huge testament” to the power of community.
Yes, but: She notes it’s just one battle in a larger fight, adding that she’ll remain vigilant for any potential plans to build an ICE detention facility at a new site.
By the numbers: ICE arrests in the state have risen sharply since Trump started his second term, according to the Deportation Data Project from UCLA and UC Berkeley.
- ICE apprehended more than 5,000 people in Utah during Trump's first 14 months in office, per data.