A proposed ICE detention facility that would have held 8,500 immigrants in a warehouse in Byhalia, Mississippi, won’t happen, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker says.
“I just spoke with DHS Secretary Noem about the proposed ICE detention facility in Marshall County,” the Mississippi Republican said in a Friday morning Facebook post. “I relayed to her the opposition of local elected and zoning officials as well as economic development concerns. I appreciate her for agreeing to look elsewhere.”
In a Feb. 3 letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Wicker wrote that the facility should be used for economic development instead, and expressed concerns about the strain housing 8,500 detainees in a town of around 1,300 would have on local infrastructure.
“From my understanding, the ICE detention facility would have a capacity exceeding 8,500 beds,” the senator wrote. “Existing medical and human services infrastructure in Byhalia is insufficient to support such a large detainee population. Establishing a detention center at this site would place significant strain on local resources.”
As news of the proposal to use the Marshall County warehouse to create the largest ICE prison in the nation spread in mid-January, a group of residents and opponents from the region gathered outside the warehouse to protest against it.
“We will not sit by and let this happen in this community,” said Chelsea Howard, who organized the event, citing reports of abuse and inhumane conditions at other ICE facilities.
The Mississippi Free Press has reached out to DHS for comment for this story but did not hear back by press time.