The Department of Homeland Security has revived plans to convert a large warehouse in Roxbury, New Jersey, into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, reversing a decision announced just weeks ago and reigniting a legal battle with state and local officials.
In a filing submitted Friday to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, DHS informed the court that it intends to move forward with evaluating and retrofitting the vacant warehouse as part of the federal government’s expanding immigration detention system.
The announcement surprised New Jersey officials after the agency had previously indicated it was abandoning the proposal. Governor Mikie Sherrill had announced earlier this month that DHS appeared to be withdrawing from the project following an earlier court filing. Friday’s notice makes clear the federal government is once again pursuing the facility.
The property is a 470,000-square-foot warehouse located in Roxbury Township, approximately 50 miles west of New York City. The federal government purchased the site earlier this year for approximately $129 million as part of a nationwide effort to expand immigration detention capacity.
According to court documents, the proposed facility could temporarily house as many as 1,500 detainees awaiting immigration proceedings or transfer to other facilities. Federal plans also estimate the project could create roughly 1,000 jobs once operational, including detention officers, administrative staff, healthcare workers, and support personnel.
The Roxbury project is part of a broader expansion by the Trump administration to significantly increase detention capacity nationwide. Federal officials have sought additional facilities across multiple states to accommodate expanded immigration enforcement operations.
State and local officials remain firmly opposed.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, Governor Mikie Sherrill, and Roxbury Township officials have argued that DHS failed to complete required environmental reviews before moving forward with the project. Their lawsuit contends the conversion could affect local infrastructure, wastewater systems, emergency services, and surrounding neighborhoods without sufficient analysis.
The unusual coalition opposing the project includes both Democratic state leaders and Republican officials in Roxbury Township, reflecting concerns that extend beyond immigration policy itself to questions involving zoning, environmental review, and local control.
Earlier court agreements allowed DHS to perform only limited preliminary work—including fencing, security cameras, and site maintenance—while broader environmental issues remained unresolved. Friday’s filing indicates the department now intends to proceed further with evaluating the warehouse for detention operations.
The dispute highlights the growing tension between federal immigration priorities and local governments that object to hosting detention facilities.
Supporters argue expanded detention capacity is necessary to enforce immigration laws efficiently and reduce overcrowding elsewhere in the system. Opponents contend large detention facilities place significant burdens on surrounding communities while raising humanitarian and environmental concerns.
The warehouse itself occupies a strategically located industrial site with highway access, making it attractive from a logistical standpoint for federal transportation and processing operations.
The legal battle is expected to intensify in the coming weeks.
State officials have already indicated they will immediately seek additional court intervention if DHS begins significant construction or conversion work before completing environmental reviews required under federal and state law.
Environmental compliance remains one of the central legal questions. Courts will likely determine whether DHS satisfied requirements under environmental statutes before converting the warehouse into a detention center.
For Roxbury Township, the project carries both economic opportunities and community concerns. While hundreds of permanent jobs could accompany the facility, many residents worry about increased traffic, public safety demands, and changes to the character of the surrounding area.
The renewed federal filing means a project many believed had been shelved is once again moving forward, setting up another round of courtroom challenges that will likely determine whether the New Jersey warehouse ultimately becomes one of the country’s newest ICE detention centers.
JBizNews Desk | New York
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