Proposed ICE detention center in New Jersey sparks protests and divides locals

In the quiet, rural township of Roxbury, New Jersey, a sprawling warehouse has become the center of a growing national controversy over U.S. immigration policy.

Recently leaked documents suggest the federal government is considering leasing the facility as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, capable of holding up to 1,500 undocumented migrants prior to deportation.

Opponents argue the building is fundamentally unsuitable for holding people.

Activist group No ICE North Jersey says the site was never designed for human occupation at such scale.

“This is a warehouse. It is designed to house packages and goods, not human beings. So as a result, it does not have suitable water and sewer capabilities to have 1,500 people inside it,” one activist said.

The proposal has triggered protests outside the town’s largest shopping mall, where demonstrators denounced the plan, while some residents voiced support, citing security and potential economic benefits.

“I love the immigrants in our community. They work hard. They are lovely families. They go to church. I love them, so I'm here for them,” said demonstrator Heather McCarthy.

Another demonstrator, Elinor Swaynos, described the climate of fear created by immigration enforcement.

“It scares me because of my color as an American citizen now, but I have to actually carry a passport, a birth certificate, immunization records. I've got it all in my purse. But I don't want to sit back and just ignore it either, because it's just, I'm just being complicit,” she said.

Across from the proposed site, a worker at a local Mexican restaurant said the establishment would refuse service to ICE agents, underscoring how deeply the dispute has divided this small community as it becomes a focal point in the national immigration debate.

Some local residents, however, back the plan.

“Well, actually, I think that it's a good thing to have it in this area if they need it. I'm not against that type of facility for ICE detention. I think there's an opportunity to clean up this area in New Jersey. There's a lot of people here that probably are illegally here, and I think that we should stand up for strong borders and not allow illegal aliens to come into the country,” said Roxbury resident Gordon Taylor.

The tensions in Roxbury come amid heightened national scrutiny of U.S. immigration enforcement. On Thursday, President Donald Trump’s point man on immigration announced the end of an aggressive operation in Minnesota that had sparked large protests and nationwide outrage following the killing of two U.S. citizens.

As the federal government weighs its options for the Roxbury facility, the township finds itself on the front line of a broader national battle over how the United States polices its borders and treats undocumented migrants.