ICE’s rapid purchase of large industrial warehouses across the U.S. has alarmed local communities, who fear the buildings will be converted into massive immigration detention centers without transparency or local input. Residents, city officials, and activists in multiple states report being blindsided as federal agents quietly tour or acquire properties, prompting protests, zoning battles, and urgent legal questions.

What’s Happening

• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is acquiring or scouting warehouses in at least eight states, aiming to convert them into detention centers capable of holding 1,500 to 10,000 people per site.
• Two warehouses were purchased this month alone—one in Maryland for $102 million and another in Arizona for $70 million.
• A proposed site in Kansas City, Missouri, would hold up to 7,500 detainees, triggering immediate community and city council action.

Why Locals Are Rattled

• No advance notice: Local officials often learn about ICE interest only after agents arrive for site tours.
• Zoning conflicts: Cities like Kansas City have passed emergency moratoriums to block non‑municipal detention facilities, though federal supremacy may override local restrictions.
• Humanitarian concerns: Some warehouses are near schools, churches, or neighborhoods; others have poor ventilation or extreme heat histories.
• Community pushback: Activist groups are mobilizing to stop sales, calling the facilities “inhumane” and urging property owners to withdraw from deals.

The Bigger Picture

• The expansion is part of a nationwide detention strategy under the Trump administration, aiming to create a hub‑and‑spoke system for rapid processing and deportation.
• ICE plans up to 23 warehouse-based detention centers, potentially holding 80,000 people in total.
• Protests have erupted in multiple states, and some enforcement actions tied to this expansion have already resulted in fatal encounters.