Turmoil Tour
Congresswoman visits proposed ICE facility
Last week, Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight and U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin toured the area surrounding the proposed ICE detention facility on Cogswell Road in the city.
Slotkin said she and McCraight discussed the serious concern in the community about the controversial 300,000 square-foot facility proposed for the warehouse building.
“Throughout the visit, one thing remained clear: this is a warehouse and is not a place that is fit to house human beings, especially about 500 feet from neighborhoods full of residents,” Slotkin posted on social media following the bus tour.
“We are in the middle of an American cultural conversation about ICE and the role of federal law enforcement in our city streets. In the meantime, ICE has lost the trust of Michiganders and should not move forward with this proposal,” Slotkin added.
McCraight thanked Slotkin for her response to the situation and her time in personally visiting the site to experience the proximity of the proposed detention center to a residential neighborhood and school. He noted the center is “within 500-feet of where families live and children play.”
Michigan officials and the city of Romulus filed a lawsuit last month against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding the proposed center. In court filings, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel cites improper zoning, flood plain location and danger posed with the facility proximity to schools and neighborhoods.
Federal officials have argued that the facility would create roughly 1,458 jobs and inject $150 million into the local economy. U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Slotkin, along with U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, have expressed strong opposition to the proposed facility and have called it a "warehouse prison.
The proposed facility has prompted multiple protests near the building and residents have expressed fears that the facility will bring instability and negatively impact the community.
Currently, federal officials have confirmed the purchase price of several warehouse-type buildings across the county is under review. The Department of Homeland Security paid $34.7 million for the warehouse in Romulus. According to city records, which is 57 percent more than the sale price when the property was last sold.
