Consider This from NPR ICE wants more detention centers. These towns don't
21 snips
Mar 18, 2026 
Kate Dario, New Hampshire reporter who helped chronicle Merrimack’s bipartisan fight, and Jasmine Garsd, NPR immigration reporter who investigates community responses. They discuss ICE scouting warehouses nationwide. They visit Roxbury’s worries about infrastructure and safety. They unpack how Merrimack organized across party lines to stop a proposed facility.
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Roxbury Resident Fears Warehouse Conversion
- Jasmine Garsd visited Roxbury, New Jersey, where a massive 500,000 sq ft warehouse bought by ICE sits above Lake Musconetcong next to homes.
- A 22-year-old neighbor described nightly semi trucks, glowing lights, and said he might move because the site feels like “industrial hell.”
Federal Funding Fuels Warehouse Detention Plans
- Congress gave ICE $45 billion over four years, prompting plans for many new large detention sites often by repurposing warehouses.
- Projects include 16 new ~1,500-person facilities and six large centers up to 10,000 people, driving local pushback on infrastructure strain.
Community Confronts Local Officials Over Conditions
- Roxbury locals raised concerns about sanitation, water, sewage and whether warehouses meet standards for meals and restrooms.
- Town hall tensions rose as officials appeared split and residents felt council members were "rolling out the red carpet" for the project.