Officials claim proposed ICE facility violates federal laws
Federal officials appear to be in violation of multiple state and federal regulations regarding the acquisition of property in Romulus for a planned immigration detention center.
Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight cited the violations of federal rules regarding the acquisition of property in a local community in a recent letter to Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Kristi Noem, secretary of Homeland Security. McCraight detailed the violations of federal rules, stressing the official requirement of notice to the local community along with details of the proposed use of the property. In his letter, McCraight also cites the portion of the federal law that provides the opportunity for local communities to object to the acquisition. These required stipulations were not met in Romulus, McCraight said.
The detailed regulations for such acquisitions require the federal department to consider all local objections and comply with local zoning ordinances “to the extent the Administrator determines is practicable.”
McCraight informed the federal authorities that the current zoning of the proposed ICE detention center at 7525 Cogswell Road is “light industrial” and does not permit the interment facility proposed for the site.
The concerns McCraight cited include, but are not limited to, the non-compliance with city zoning ordinances, the inappropriate ? mile proximity to residential areas and schools, a lack of adequate road access to the building and the impact on local public safety resources.
McCraight also notes that permits for renovations at the office space at the building were recently granted to accommodate the needs of a large automobile manufacturer which, McCraight said, now appears to be a significant loss in job creation, business opportunity and tax base for the city and the region.
His objections have been supported by United States Senators Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin, several state legislators, and State Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Both Slotkin and Peters immediately responded to McCraight’s letter and fired off written demands to Noem and Lyons seeking justification for use of the building as a detention center for 500 immigrants and the “community impact study” along with the “rigorous due diligence process” the federal department claims to have completed prior to purchasing the site.
Nessel also sent a letter to ICE officials objecting to the detention center plan. She asserted the proposed facility “violates the sovereign interests of Michigan and federal and state law and must immediately be halted.”
“Through its conduct, ICE appears intent to operate a mass detention facility a stone’s throw from a middle school, an elementary school, and a protected wetland. What’s more, ICE purchased the warehouse before any attempt to communicate with the State of Michigan, its agencies, or any local governing body about it,” Nessel said.
Nessel argues that the “floodplain notice lacks the details necessary to assess whether the project would comply with federal laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Flood Insurance Act, the Flood Disaster Protection Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act. The property is located within a floodplain, yet ICE has not yet applied for, or even initiated discussions, regarding permits from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).”
Nessel called on ICE to “immediately cease further development of the property, plainly and publicly articulate the planned use and construction for the warehouse, engage in meaningful consultation with the appropriate state, county, and municipal officials, and comply with all state and local laws and permitting requirements for the project’s impacts to the environment.”
Hundreds of area residents have attended protest demonstrations regarding the proposed facility and members of the Romulus City Council unanimously approved a formal resolution in opposition to the proposed ICE facility.
Protestors were joined last week by State. Sen Darrin Camilleri, State Sen. Matt Kolezar, several local religious leaders and State Sen. Mallory McMorrow along with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. Tlaib has been a vocal critic of the project, labeling it a "warehouse prison" and stating that "ICE is not welcome in Michigan". Congressman Shri Thanadar has also publicly voiced his opposition to the project.
