Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from the City Manager of Social Circle.
SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. – A warehouse in Social Circle is part of a proposal to hold immigration detainees in large-scale centers to expedite deportations, according to information obtained by The Washington Post.
The Post reported on Dec. 24 that documents obtained from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) show that ICE is trying to speed up deportations of undocumented immigrants by establishing seven warehouses across the country that could hold between 5,000 and 10,000 detainees. An additional 16 smaller warehouses would be able to hold up to 1,500 people.
One of the large warehouses is reportedly proposed for Social Circle. Another small warehouse is proposed for Georgia, in the city of Jefferson, which is approximately 40 miles north of Social Circle.
It does not appear, at this time, that specific warehouse locations have been selected. The information obtained by The Post was part of a draft solicitation that remains subject to change.
Eric Taylor, city manager of Social Circle, told The Covington News on Monday morning that the city has not been contacted by any property owners or federal officials regarding the proposal.
“I think it's important for the public to understand that this is not something that Social Circle is behind,“ Taylor said.
According to The Post, an internal email indicated that ICE planned to share the plan with private detention companies this week. This would precede a formal request for bids.
The solicitation obtained by The Post reportedly said that the new facilities would “maximize efficiency, minimize costs, shorten processing times, limit lengths of stay, accelerate the removal process and promote the safety, dignity and respect for all in ICE custody.”
ICE would “heavily modify” the structures, The Post reports, to make them habitable. Changes reportedly listed in the draft would include intake areas, housing units, restrooms, kitchen and dining areas, medical area, recreation areas, a law library and administrative office space.
A timeline was not provided in the documents obtained by The Post, but it was reportedly stipulated that facilities must begin accepting detainees within 30-60 days of beginning construction.
Social Circle is in Georgia’s 10th Congressional District, which is represented by Mike Collins. Collins has remained a staunch advocate for strict immigration enforcement, penning the Laken Riley Act in response to an Athens woman being murdered by a Venezuelan man who had entered the country illegally.
