The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has abandoned its plans to convert a warehouse in Social Circle, Georgia, into a detention facility for illegal immigrants. The city of Social Circle announced that Congressman Mike Collins had informed them of the decision.

Background

The original plan, which was announced four months ago, would have seen the warehouse accommodate up to 10,000 detainees and 2,000 to 2,500 employees. The federal government had paid $128.5 million for the property, more than four times its previous sale price in 2023.

City leaders expressed hope that the property would return to private hands and contribute to the local tax base and economic vitality. The decision was praised by Georgia’s US senators, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, who had opposed the plans from the beginning.

The news comes as DHS is scrapping plans for seven recently purchased warehouses to be converted into detention facilities across the country. A spokesperson for DHS stated that the department remains focused on removing criminal illegal aliens from the United States and is evaluating the best methods to do so.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.