New ICE Facility Proposed In Morris County Sparks Backlash

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — Politicians are speaking out against a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Morris County.

According to the Washington Post, a location in Roxbury will become one of several warehouse-turned-detention facilities across the country. Roxbury’s proposed facility is expected to hold around 1,500 people at one time, the Post added.

The Post’s report also said the plans were unfinalized drafts and “subject to changes.”

Roxbury Mayor Shawn Potillo said that the town has not been contacted by ICE and has no information at this time regarding the validity of the Washington Post’s report.

“We will continue to work with our representatives to understand how Roxbury appeared on this list,” Potillo told Patch. “We are committed to keeping our community informed and will provide updates as more information becomes available to us.”

When asked if Roxbury would consider ICE building a detention facility in the town, if approached, Potillo said he would not “speculate on a hypothetical situation.”

Nevertheless, politicians and activists are speaking out against the rumored proposal, with Congress candidate Brian Varela (NJ-07) saying, “This isn’t who we are as Americans.”

“I am appalled and disgusted with reports that ICE plans to expand its cruel and divisive agenda by roping in our congressional district to be part of its inhumane plan of mass abductions and lawless racism,” Varela said. “While we should target violent criminals, ICE has created fear, confusion, and chaos in our communities, tackling and detaining innocent people in their commutes to work and ripping apart entire families. I’m going to fight with everything I have to keep ICE out of our district.”

ICE has sparked controversy in the last year, to say the least. New Jersey is not immune to the controversy, as protesters and activists have taken to the streets in Newark, for example, to speak out against the federal law enforcement agency.

Controversial flames in The Garden State were fueled this month when a Haitian detainee in Newark died in ICE custody. Jean Wilson Brutus, 41, died at University Hospital in Newark on Dec. 12.

Patch has reached out to ICE in regard to the proposed Roxbury facility and has not yet received a response.

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