Ankara: A suburban town outside Atlanta has sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over plans to open a detention center for 10,000 immigrants in a community with fewer than 5,500 residents.

According to Anadolu Agency, in its lawsuit, Social Circle, in the US state of Georgia, argues the proposed ICE facility would overwhelm local infrastructure, leading to 'dry taps and raw human waste spills,' as reported by NBC News. Town officials also claimed that ICE violated state and federal laws while trying to convert a large warehouse into a mega-detention center purchased with $128 million in taxpayer funds.

The lawsuit details that ICE informed the town the facility could open by June 2026, despite the fact that no renovation work has begun. It also highlighted that ICE paid over five times the property's previously assessed value for the site. A DHS spokesperson mentioned that the agency is reviewing its policies and proposals following the recent confirmation of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullen.

The Georgia warehouse is part of a broader nationwide initiative by ICE to develop additional detention infrastructure, including eight large-scale detention centers, 16 new processing facilities, and the acquisition of 10 'turnkey' facilities designed to house 92,600 more immigrants. This plan is estimated to cost ICE $38.3 billion, as outlined in an ICE overview included in court documents related to the case.