Protesters voice opposition to Oakwood ICE facility

OAKWOOD, Ga. - The Department of Homeland Security says it plans to spend more than $150 million to retrofit two warehouses in Oakwood for a new regional processing center for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the office of U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde.

ICE facility in metro Atlanta

What we know:

Clyde’s office has confirmed that the property, along Atlanta Highway near Interstate 985, will be converted into a processing facility for the Social Circle Detention Center. His office states the capacity of the facility will be between 1,400 and 1,600 people. 

Clyde’s office states DHS will spend about $158 million to retrofit the facility and will cost about $160 million to operate for the first three years.

Oakwood responds to new ICE facility

What they're saying:

Oakwood City Manager B.R. White said as of Friday afternoon, he has not heard from DHS or ICE regarding the new facility.

"Left out in the cold," he described. "Our assumption was that this facility would be in support of the inland port that's being located just to the north of here. We would have loved to have had a conversation up front to address some concerns that we have, especially about sewer and sewer capacity."

Protest over facility

What they're saying:

Friday night, more than 50 protesters gathered outside Oakwood City Hall to voice their opposition to the facility. 

Opponents of the project say the location is inappropriately close to schools and family-oriented spaces. Ari Mathe, a local attorney and Hall County parent, noted that her children attend school within a mile of the warehouse and her daughter attends dance classes directly across the street.

"This is an area with neighborhoods and business, children and families," Mathe said. "This is not a place for any detention facility, but particularly not a facility that would be housing folks who have been detained for no other reason than their legal status."

For Naydelyn Chavro, a student at the University of North Georgia and chairwoman of the Latino Caucus for Young Democrats, the facility’s proximity to her school and home is a major concern. She noted that the site is only two minutes from the university campus, which serves a large Latino student body.

"We are the poultry capital here in Gainesville so a lot of our community here we rely on poultry, we rely on those workers," Chavro said. "Knowing that this is going on in our community is heavily impacted because we are Latinos here. It made me really surprised because we are a very close-knit community."

Chavro added that she hopes the demonstration catches the attention of local representatives. "I’m hoping we get the attention of our local officials, we get attention of our reps and they listen to the community that is here," she said. "They listen—we do not want an ICE detention here."

Georgia representative supports new ICE facility

The other side:

U.S. Representative Clyde released the following statement:

"North Georgia knows the horrors of illegal alien crime all too well. I fully support President Trump in protecting American citizens by detaining and deporting criminal illegals from our communities. The new Oakwood ICE facility will play an important role in this fight by serving as a regional processing center. In addition to assisting ICE’s mission and mass deportations, the forthcoming facility will also bring a major economic investment to the City of Oakwood and surrounding communities. Based on ICE’s economic impact analysis, track record, and unwavering commitment to protecting the American people, I am confident that the Oakwood ICE facility will be a safe and prosperous addition to the Ninth District."

ICE and DHS did not respond to requests for comment.

When will Hall County's ICE facility open? 

What's next:

White said the facility is expected to close in the next two weeks and be operational in the next few months.