The site of a proposed a 10,000-person ICE detention center on East Hightower Trail in Social Circle. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. - The Department of Homeland Security has abandoned plans to build an immigration detention center in Social Circle and is now taking steps to sell the property.
What we know:
The Department of Homeland Security is no longer planning to build an ICE detention facility in Social Circle, city officials confirmed.
Congressman Mike Collins notified local leaders that federal officials dropped the plan following an intense advocacy campaign by residents and local elected officials.
The property is located at 1365 Hightower Trail and features a warehouse structure built in 2024.
If no other federal agencies show interest in the land, federal officials anticipate selling the property through the General Services Administration.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is proposing to sell the excess property and initiated a Section 106 consultation under the National Historic Preservation Act.
Federal officials determined the 2024 warehouse structure is ineligible for the National Register of Historic Places and issued a finding of "No Historic Properties Affected".
ICE invited public feedback on the historic determination within 30 calendar days of an Oct. 7 letter sent to Social Circle City Manager Eric J. Taylor.
Invited consulting parties include the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office, the Social Circle Community Development Authority, and five federally recognized Native American tribes: the Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Cherokee Nation, Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
What they're saying:
An ICE spokesperson said, "ICE continuously evaluates and utilizes detention capacity based on its operational needs. The Trump Administration will utilize all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history, just as President Trump promised."
What we don't know:
Federal officials have not confirmed the exact timeline or process for selling the land.
It remains unknown whether another federal agency will claim the property before it goes to public sale through the General Services Administration.
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The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official municipal notifications from the City of Social Circle and an official letter and statement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.