SAN FRANCISCO — The small town of Social Circle, Georgia, has filed a lawsuit against the federal government over a proposal to convert a local warehouse into a “10,000-bed immigration detention facility,” a project that officials say would nearly triple the town’s population and severely strain local infrastructure, according to Law.com.
Attorneys from Keker, Van Nest & Peters of San Francisco are representing Social Circle in the lawsuit filed Wednesday against the federal government and its plan to construct what critics describe as a “mega center” immigration detention facility.
The complaint alleges that “the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement violated the National Environmental Policy Act and the Administrative Procedure Act by advancing the proposed ‘mega center’ detention center without conducting a required environmental review or coordinating with local officials.”
According to the complaint, the lack of environmental consideration poses significant risks to the surrounding area. The source reports that the large-scale facility could heavily impact local wildlife, while residents may also face increased ICE activity and patrols throughout the community.
The complaint further states that “Social Circle’s already-strained utility network cannot support the planned facility,” warning that the project could result in dry taps and raw sewage spills. Eric Taylor, Social Circle’s city manager, told Georgia Public Broadcasting that “the proposed facility could discharge more than one million gallons of sewage per day.”
The facility would also require substantial amounts of water to maintain electricity, food service operations and sanitation systems. Social Circle argues that its utility infrastructure is already under significant stress.
If the system were to overflow, residents could lose access to reliable water supplies, or sewage could contaminate clean water sources and create unsafe conditions.
Taylor also stated, “Our position is the same as it was last month, two months ago, three months ago, in that it’s still going to cause significant problems on our water and sewer infrastructure.”
The Social Circle lawsuit also “follows similar legal challenges to large-scale ICE detention projects in Maryland and Arizona, including a Maryland case that resulted in a preliminary injunction against ICE.”
The legal team challenging ICE includes Adam Lauridsen, Hamilton Jordan, Julie Hunter, Aseem Mehta and Sonja Riley-Swanbeck.
In Georgia, critics argue the proposed ICE detention center could create widespread problems for Social Circle residents and the surrounding environment. Concerns over impacts to utilities, infrastructure and wildlife have intensified opposition to the project, while residents and local officials say the federal government’s lack of coordination with the town risks deepening public distrust and resentment if the warehouse conversion proceeds.
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