ICE eyes Social Circle for massive detention center while city voices alarm

A proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holding center for detainees in Social Circle, Georgia, could open as early as April, even as city officials voice strong concerns and frustration over the process. 

The City of Social Circle said in a social media post on Sunday that it recently learned that 1365 E. Hightower Trail, a property previously owned by PNK, had been purchased by ICE, making it the preferred site for a detention center.

City leaders say they were not involved in key stages of the process, including an engineering evaluation of city utilities conducted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and they worry that the center could overwhelm Social Circle's resources—potentially tripling the city's population overnight. 

The planned facility, which could house up to 10,000 detainees, is less than a mile from Social Circle Elementary School. 

City Manager Eric Taylor and other officials have expressed frustration over a lack of transparency, pointing out the city's limited police presence and insufficient water and sewer infrastructure. 

They have requested more information in writing from DHS, while pledging to keep the public informed as new details emerge.