Hall County leaders say they want answers and a seat at the table after confirmation that a warehouse on Atlanta Highway in Oakwood will be converted into a regional U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility.
The project was confirmed through the office of State Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-9th District). The Department of Homeland Security plans to spend about $158 million to retrofit the property near Interstate 985. The facility will serve as a regional processing center for the Social Circle Detention Center, which is under construction. The Oakwood facility is expected to house between 1,400 and 1,600 people.
Clyde’s office told reporters it will cost about $160 million to operate during its first three years.
Clyde supports the project, saying it will be “a safe and prosperous addition to the Ninth District.”
“North Georgia knows the horrors of illegal alien crime all too well. I fully support President Trump in protecting American citizens by detaining and deporting criminal illegals from our communities,” Rep. Clyde said.
Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock opposes the plan. On Friday, he filed an amendment to the continuing resolution to fund the Department of Homeland Security that would block the federal government from purchasing the warehouses and using them as detention centers.
“The people of Georgia want secure borders; they do not want massive immigration detention centers in their backyards,” said Warnock (D-GA). “If the Trump Administration focused on getting violent criminals out of the country, we would not need new detention centers straining Georgia’s rural communities. That’s why I’m standing with the residents of Social Circle and Oakwood and fighting to BLOCK these detention facilities from towns that don’t want them.”
Oakwood: “Left out in the cold”
Oakwood City Manager B.R. White told Fox 5 that as of Friday afternoon, he had not heard directly from DHS or ICE about the project.
“Left out in the cold,” he described. “Our assumption was that this facility would be in support of the inland port that’s being located just to the north of here. We would have loved to have had a conversation up front to address some concerns that we have, especially about sewer and sewer capacity.”
White told reporters the property is expected to close within the next two weeks and could become operational in the coming months.
Around 100 protesters gathered outside Oakwood City Hall Friday night. Others voiced their opposition to the plan during the Feb. 9 Oakwood City Council meeting.
Opponents argue the proposed location is too close to schools and family-oriented businesses. Others point to the chilling effect such a facility could have on Hall County’s Latino population – many of whom work in local poultry plants and attend nearby colleges.
County: local concerns must be heard
The Hall County Board of Commissioners says its members are fully committed to supporting Oakwood and ensuring that local concerns “are heard and addressed by our federal partners.”
“We understand and support public safety both federally and locally, but not without regard to the impacts to our infrastructure and community as a whole,” Commission Chairman David Gibbs said.
Gibbs said the board is working with staff, local, state and federal representatives to coordinate meetings about the potential impacts on infrastructure, planning and economic development.
“The federal government supersedes our local controls,” he said. “But we want to ensure that this facility is developed in collaboration and with consideration for the local community.”
District 3 Commissioner Gregg Poole, speaking individually and not on behalf of the full board, voiced his opposition.
“Due to the lack of communication from our federal and state officials, I’m not for this facility. It will increase taxes for our Hall County citizens, and I do not support it.”
Hall County commissioners are encouraging residents who wish to share feedback to contact ICE and their federal representatives directly.
ICE can be reached at 202-282-8000, extension 3.
Federal offices serving Hall County include:
Andrew Clyde
Washington Office: 445 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-9893
District Office: 210 Washington Street NW, Suite 202, Gainesville, GA 30501
Phone: 470-768-6520
Rich McCormick
Washington Office: 1719 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4272
District Office: 6230 Shiloh Road, Suite 230
Phone: 770-232-3005
Raphael Warnock
Washington Office: B40D Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3643
Jon Ossoff
Washington Office: Hart Senate Office Building, Suite 317, Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3521
