ROMULUS, Mich. – City and state officials in Romulus filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to stop the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from moving forward with plans to use a commercial warehouse as an immigration detention facility, saying federal officials have not directly communicated with local leaders about the project.
Mayor Robert McCraight and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said the suit asks a judge to pause the plan while the city and state challenge the purchase and intended use of the building on Cogswell.
Nessel said DHS bought the warehouse in February “without any notice at all to state and city officials,” and that ICE outbid an automotive supplier that had already submitted renovation plans to the city.
Residents living nearby said they were alarmed by the proposal.
“Literally right through the woods you can see the building -- it’s quite scary,” said Chuck Hamby, who lives near the site.
Hamby said he was shocked when he learned the warehouse was set to become a detention facility. He and officials noted it is surrounded by neighborhoods and about a mile from an elementary school and a middle school.
“In my opinion, DHS could not have picked a worse location,” McCraight said.
The officials also raised concerns about public safety resources as protests have intensified in recent weeks. Police officers have been reassigned to cover demonstrations, they said, and they fear additional strain on police, fire and emergency medical services if DHS houses about 500 detainees there, as planned.
“What we have seen answered about the method of detention and conditions are deeply disturbing,” Nessel said.
McCraight said the proposed detention center must be vetted and argued it is currently in violation of local zoning ordinances.
“By operating in a less than transparent manner they have avoided following rules adopted by our community,” he said.
State Rep. Dylan Wegela, whose district includes the area where the warehouse is located, criticized ICE’s record and echoed concerns about the site selection.
“ICE has lost in court more than 4,400 times since October for wrongfully jailing people. Last year in ICE detention, we saw record deaths,” Wegela said. “This year alone at least 13 people have died in ICE custody. It comes as no surprise that for an agency with a track record of terrible conditions for their facilities, ICE would choose a terrible spot for a new detention center like the Cogswell facility in Romulus. I represent the part of Romulus where this proposed facility is, and no one wants it. It’s a disaster in the making.”
Critics also say the warehouse is on a flood plain and has only six bathrooms, which they argue makes the plan unsafe and unworkable even apart from legal challenges.
A request for comment was sent to the Department of Homeland Security. No response was received.