Tensions are rising in Roxbury, New Jersey, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement moved forward with plans to convert a vacant warehouse into an immigration detention center despite strong opposition from residents and local officials. Community members have staged protests in recent weeks and voiced concerns during town council meetings, arguing the proposed facility raises humanitarian, financial and neighborhood safety issues.
Many residents say they oppose the ICE detention center on moral grounds, while town leaders have focused on the site’s placement within a residential area and the potential burden on local utilities. Officials also warned of possible lost tax revenue tied to the project. Roxbury’s all-Republican council publicly criticized Rep. Tom Kean Jr., stating he “did not engage to the level we had hoped to provide the advocacy our residents deserved.”
Kean responded Monday by introducing legislation that would provide grant funding to municipalities hosting federal facilities, including immigration detention centers, to help offset local expenses. The proposal comes as debate intensifies over the project’s economic and social impact on the Morris County community.
According to Roxbury officials, the township previously offered property owner Dalfen Industrial a 10-year tax abatement package valued at approximately $20 million. Meanwhile, Sen. Cory Booker said the warehouse property itself sold for “tens of millions of dollars,” underscoring the scale of the investment tied to the planned immigration facility.
The dispute follows federal funding included in July’s Big Beautiful Bill, which allocated billions of dollars to ICE to expand and purchase detention centers nationwide. ICE currently does not own its other detention centers in Newark and Elizabeth, making the Roxbury project notable in the agency’s broader infrastructure strategy.
Governor Mikie Sherrill voiced concern about detention conditions nationally, saying reports have shown “really bad outcomes and poor conditions and dangerous conditions for people in those facilities.” She added that she opposes private detention facilities and that the state is reviewing its options.
An ICE spokesperson said the former warehouse will be upgraded to meet the agency’s standard requirements and argued the facility would generate significant economic benefits, including approximately 1,300 jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue.
Local officials, however, say they received no communication from the Department of Homeland Security during the approval process and are preparing for a potential legal challenge. As tensions continue to mount, the dispute in Roxbury highlights the broader national debate over immigration enforcement infrastructure and its impact on local communities.
