City locks Social Circle ICE facility's utility box

City officials lock water meter at proposed ICE facility

The City of Social Circle placed a lock on utilities at a warehouse recently purchased by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. City Manager Eric Taylor says the move is necessary because the town's sewer plant is already operating at its maximum capacity.

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. - The City of Social Circle placed a lock on utilities at a warehouse recently purchased by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

What they're saying:

City Manager Eric Taylor says the move is necessary because the town's sewer plant is already operating at its maximum capacity.

Taylor sent a statement to FOX 5 explaining that city officials alerted ICE about the lock on the meter after a representative asked how to establish a water account. According to Taylor, that lock will stay on until ICE can explain how the facility will operate without exceeding the city's "limited infrastructure capacity."

Taylor notes that while Social Circle is permitted to draw one million gallons of water a day from the river, the sewer plant can only process 660,000 gallons daily. The city is currently at its sewer limit. While the city's website mentions plans to build a new 3-million-gallon sewer facility, there is currently no clear timeline for when that would be completed.

During an interview with FOX5 in February, the city manager said he would like government officials to speak with them about the plans.

"Our frustration is we don't know why this project has moved forward when we have been extremely vocal about stating exactly what the situation is in terms of what we can handle in this small town," Taylor said.

Social Circle residents have also held meetings and reached out to lawmakers in hopes of getting answers.

"It doesn't really make good financial sense to me to drain the city because of the detention center, though I am in favor of the detention center; I think they need to do a little more planning," said Riley Tucker, a resident.

"Come sit down with us if you want to be a part of our community so that we can show you the situation on the ground," said John Miller, a resident.

Dig deeper:

On Feb. 18, the city posted on Facebook that ICE hadn't awarded any company the contract to convert the inside of the facility yet, but the facility will open by the end of Fiscal Year 2026. The city said documentation provided by ICE shows the facility will have holding areas, gyms and recreational spaces both indoors and outdoors, court facilities, intake areas, cafeterias, laundry facilities, on-site health services, and a gun range. 

The backstory:

Documents previously obtained by FOX 5 reveal that ICE intends to house as many as 10,000 detainees at the East Hightower Trail site. 

Plans for a proposed a 10,000-person ICE detention center on East Hightower Trail in Social Circle.

While an ICE spokesperson claims the project would create 9,800 jobs and contribute $1 billion to the GDP, local leaders remain focused on the immediate strain on resources.

The other side:

FOX 5 has reached out to ICE for comment regarding the utility lock and is waiting to hear back.