Rural Georgia Town Resists ICE Detention Center

News from City of Social Circle, Georgia

A battle between a small town and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is playing out in rural Georgia.

The City of Social Circle has sued for injunctive and declaratory relief," naming DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons, and others, for their actions on a proposed detention "mega center."

USA Today reports that

"Social Circle claims that say ICE plans to `imprison up to 10,000 people in a commercial warehouse' in their 5,000-person town with no regard for the impact on the city's infrastructure or community.

`Defendants U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are not above the law,' the city states in its complaint."

USA Today reports that the city in March cut off water and sewer service to the warehouse to prevent DHS from using the utilities. The city said the water would remain off "until ICE indicates how water and sewer to the facility will be served without exceeding the limited infrastructure capacity."

The law firm of Keker, Van Nest, and Peters is representing the City of Social Circle. Here is its press release.