Proposed ICE facility could overrun NJ’s drinking water with sewage, lawsuit says
Gov. Mikie Sherrill and state officials held a news conference today in Newark and said they are asking the court to vacate the federal decision to purchase a Roxbury warehouse and stop any construction to convert it into a detention center.
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A proposed ICE facility could overrun New Jersey’s drinking water with sewage, according to a lawsuit filed by the state and the town of Roxbury.
Governor Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced today in Newark that they are asking the court to vacate the federal decision to purchase a Roxbury warehouse and stop any construction to convert it into a detention center. They argue Roxbury’s sewage system cannot support the project and say discharge could flow into Lake Musconetcong.
“The DHS plan will not make New Jersey safer. It would strain water, sewer and road infrastructure. It would divert emergency resources. It would displace potential housing and disrupt growth. It's the kind of poorly thought-out, chaotic idea that all too often comes from the Trump administration,” said Sherrill.
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State leaders also say the warehouse is a logistics center with four toilets and is not suitable to house up to 1,500 detainees. Additional concerns were raised about its proximity to Lake Hopatcong, Lake Musconetcong and nearby homes.
Gov. Sherrill says DHS paid $129 million for the warehouse, which state officials say is more than double its assessed value. The state says the plan would create the largest immigration detention center in New Jersey, which already has facilities in Newark and Elizabeth.
News 12 has reached out to DHS for comment. In earlier comments, DHS said any facilities would meet standard detention requirements and undergo community impact studies and a due diligence review to address utility and infrastructure concerns before purchase.
No one from Roxbury attended Friday’s press conference.
