As NJ races to block ICE detention warehouse, GOP rep urges feds to hit the brakes
☑️New Jersey files for federal injunction to halt work on Roxbury ICE facility
☑️Leaders warn project could threaten drinking water and strain utilities
☑️GOP rep asking new Homeland Security secretary to take closer look
ROXBURY — New Jersey is in court to stop a controversial ICE detention center in the affluent conservative suburbs of North Jersey.
State officials asked a federal judge for an emergency injunction to halt work at a massive warehouse site along Route 46, warning the project could strain water supplies, overload local infrastructure and saddle taxpayers with the fallout.
Work at the commercial warehouse site is paused during a federal review announced after President Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. But ICE has indicated construction could begin as soon as late May.
This fight is also shaping up as a rare political split among Republicans, who largely support Trump's robust immigration enforcement.
While the state's lawsuit is fronted by the Democratic administration of Gov. Mikie Sherrill, it's been local elected Republican officials leading the charge against the facility. U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J. 7th District, who’s already introduced legislation to compensate towns hosting ICE facilities, is now also urging federal officials to slow down and take a harder look at the Roxbury site.
In the state's request for an injunction, officials point to a federal ruling in Maryland that found a similar ICE project was “likely unlawful,” strengthening its argument that the Roxbury site should be stopped before construction begins.
New Jersey lawsuit against Roxbury detention warehouse plan
The state had already filed a lawsuit claiming that Noem did not comply with federal law requiring Homeland Security and ICE to consult with state and local officials about major projects.
“The Trump Administration has ignored state and local officials in pushing its ill-conceived plan forward because it knows the local impacts are indefensible, and this facility will not make the community safer,” Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a written statement. “We are standing up for New Jerseyans in a bipartisan manner to ensure their drinking water, public safety, and pocketbooks are protected.”
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Congressman urges Homeland Security review amid political pressure
Republicans who typically back ICE enforcement are now fighting a detention center in their own backyard.
Kean wrote a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin urging him to take a "deeper look" at the plan and consider the concerns about water, sewage and power.
"My priority is to ensure that any decision is the result of a thoughtful and balanced approach that considers law enforcement’s operational necessities alongside the interests of the local community," Kean's letter says. "I remain fully committed to working with you and the residents of Roxbury to identify a workable solution. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued commitment to thoughtful, collaborative engagement."
During Mullin's confirmation hearing, U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., questioned Mullin about the Roxbury site. Mullin said he would visit the Roxbury site to address Kim’s concerns if he were confirmed as Noem's successor. Mullin said during his confirmation hearing that he wanted to “work with community leaders” and “be good partners.”
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