Gov. Mikie Sherrill criticized the federal government’s plan to convert a newly acquired Roxbury warehouse into an immigration detention center in a letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Feb. 27.
The warehouse, purchased by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Feb. 20, is slated for use by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a detention facility that could hold up to 1,500 people.
Sherrill said the community was excluded from the decision-making process and only learned of the plan through media reports.
“At the outset, DHS’s lack of communication and transparency with Roxbury in its acquisition of the site is inexcusable,” Sherrill wrote. “The people of Roxbury deserve better than to learn of a plan to place an immigration detention facility in their community through a newspaper article.”
In the letter, Sherrill outlined several concerns about the project, including potential economic strain, environmental impact, infrastructure capacity and public safety risks. She warned that the facility could place significant pressure on local emergency services, wastewater systems, traffic patterns and public utilities, while also raising zoning and land-use issues.
She also raised concerns about prior disruptions tied to ICE operations and what she described as inhumane conditions in similar facilities, such as the Elizabeth Detention Center and Delaney Hall in Newark.
“Such conditions, which include undrinkable water, spoiled food, overcrowding, and a lack of medical care, are an affront to the values that New Jerseyans hold dear,” Sherrill wrote. “In short, DHS’s treatment of human beings—citizen and non-citizen alike—reflects a chilling disregard for both human life and the rule of law.”
The dispute in Roxbury comes just days after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a federal lawsuit against New Jersey over Sherrill’s Feb. 11 executive order that prohibits ICE agents from making arrests on nonpublic, state-owned property, deepening tensions between the state and the federal government.
The 21-page lawsuit, filed Feb. 23 in federal court in Newark, alleges that Sherrill’s executive order violates the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution by unlawfully regulating and discriminating against the federal government. The suit argues that federal immigration law preempts the state’s restrictions.
“Such blatant disregard for federal laws that have been on the books for over three decades is not merely a political statement, but is instead deliberate action that jeopardizes the public safety of all Americans,” the lawsuit states.
Executive Order 12 also prohibits the use of state property as a staging or processing area for immigration enforcement.
Sherrill’s opposition mirrors efforts by other Democratic governors pushing back against federal immigration enforcement.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has led similar resistance after two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents. The deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis earlier this year sparked widespread legal and political challenges.
Minnesota became a focal point for Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale deployment of ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents that included more than 3,000 officers.
After legal action and sustained pressure from Walz and other state officials, the federal government announced a reduction in personnel, leaving significantly fewer than at the operation’s peak.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is employing tactics similar to those used by Sherrill to block the development of two ICE facilities in Berks and Schuylkill counties.
During a Feb. 26 press conference, Shapiro vowed to use “every tool at his disposal” to prevent ICE from establishing operations in Pennsylvania communities.
“I've taken this president to court 19 times [as governor], not lost a single case,” Shapiro said. “Part of the reason why we're so successful is we don't forecast all of it ahead of time.”
Sherrill, like many other state officials, said she is prepared to pursue all legal actions that she believes are necessary to protect the community.
“New Jersey will assess all options to protect the community’s infrastructure, public safety, health, and long-term economic stability,” Sherrill said in her letter to Noem. “This includes ensuring DHS complies with all applicable laws, including but not limited to the National Environmental Policy Act and the Immigration and Nationality Act.”
Kaelyn Blizard is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at kaelyn.blizard@student.shu.edu.
Megan Pitt is the head editor of The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at megan.pitt@student.shu.edu.
