The City of Oakwood Wednesday issued a lengthy statement concerning the proposed ICE detention facility on McEver Road in the city as the debate about and controversy over just such a possibility continues.
The statement begins by emphasizing the city’s support for the ICE mission but raises concerns – as it has done in the past – about the proposed location and selection process, which, as has been pointed out before, occurred without any consultation with Oakwood officials.
The city also listed a number of major concerns it has for locating such a facility in Oakwood:
*Loss of property tax revenue for the city, Hall County, the Hall County Board of Education, and impacts on fire tax districts
*Loss of sales tax revenue
*Loss of employment opportunities for local residents
*No impact studies regarding sewer capacity and long-term system planning with the near-completion of the Inland Port
*No public safety impact studies, including potential burden on Oakwood Police Department
*Warehouses not being constructed for habitation, including fire suppression and occupancy requirements
*Warehouses typically lack climate-controlled environments, raising questions about sustainability
*Economic disruption to Hall County’s Hispanic community, “an essential part of the workforce … This concern is both economic and human in nature, and it deserves thoughtful consideration.”
City officials are also urging ICE to pause any further action until studies can be done, local governments consulted, and an evaluation completed looking at the long-term effects this would have on the community.
They also urged concerned citizens to contact 9th Dist. Congressman Andrew Clyde and Georgia’s two U.S. senators about the matter.
