Officials respond to rumored Romulus ICE detention facility
Unsubstantiated reports of a potential ICE detention center in Romulus have drawn quick responses from both city and state officials.
The city was named in federal planning materials as one of more than 20 locations across the country reviewed by ICE officials while exploring potential sites for future immigration detention facilities, according to reporting from Bloomberg earlier this month. Romulus appears on an early-stage list tied to discussions about repurposing large warehouse-style buildings as detention centers.
No local or federal officials have confirmed plans for the Romulus site.
The reports have been widely circulated on social media, prompting a response from Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight.
“My administration takes this issue very seriously and is opposed to any such operation being located within the City of Romulus. We are currently examining all legal options available to protect Romulus as well as our residents. We have investigated the sites that have been reported as "possible” detention centers and have found nothing that would substantiate the current rumors.
“We are also in direct contact with our representatives at the Federal and State level who have been extremely cooperative and helpful in addressing this issue. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will advise accordingly should we discover any additional intent to house such an operation within our community,” McCraight said in a formal statement.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials are currently rapidly expanding the agency detention system with plans to bring more than 100,000 to 135,000+ total beds online this year.
The location of Romulus, near several downriver communities including Dearborn Heights and the City of Dearborn was cited in the reports as favorable for a detention center. Planning documents referenced in the report indicate a Romulus-area facility could house around 500 detainees, which would make it one of the smaller sites being evaluated nationwide.
State Sen. Darrin Camilleri also responded to the reports naming Romulus as a potential detention facility site.
“Since these reports have begun to circulate, I’ve stayed in conversation with the City of Romulus, our members of Congress, and other elected leaders about the possibility of an ICE detention facility coming to our community. I want to emphasize that there is no concrete evidence at this time of any facility in Romulus being used or developed into a detainment center,” Camilleri said in a prepared statement.
“But let me be clear, Romulus and our surrounding communities do not want to see our neighbors detained and held unlawfully, whether it be in my district or anywhere else, and we will fight back with every tool at our disposal to stop it. The inhumane and criminal behavior of this agency should not be allowed to continue to inflict terror on immigrants, let alone doing so in our community,” he added.
Bloomberg reported that the information came from internal ICE planning materials and contractor briefings and is preliminary. Officials cautioned that locations could change and that some cities listed may reflect nearby areas rather than confirmed sites within city boundaries.
Being included in the planning documents does not mean land has been purchased or that a detention center has been approved. In other cities mentioned during the review process, some property owners have already stated they do not intend to lease or sell space to the federal government.
ICE has not publicly commented on the planning materials, and limited information has been released about where facilities would be located, how they would function, or whether surrounding infrastructure could support them.
