Despite pause, Oakwood city officials still preparing for proposed ICE detention facility

Officials in the small Georgia city of Oakwood are still preparing for the possibility of an ICE detention facility opening up within its city limits.

Back in February, city officials became aware of the Department of Homeland Security's plans to open a proposed ICE detention facility in Oakwood.

Since then, those plans have seemingly been put on pause.

Oakwood City Manager B.R. White said they never received official word that the facility was coming in the first place or that the program had been paused.

"With some of my counterparts in other parts of the country and the state, they have been informed that the program is on pause, so we're welcoming the pause," White said.

Even with the pause, White said they're still preparing as though the facility is still opening by investing in police and public works.

"We're still preparing for civil unrest," White said. "Just by seeing what has happened in Minnesota, we have to plan for the worst and hope for the best. There's a sum that's going to cost us up front to prepare for that, and it's over $200,000 that we didn't budget for this year."

White still has questions about the federal agency's plans for the facilities.

"We would like to be at the table to at least be able to work out how much it's going to cost us, what their plans are," White said. "What the future plans are, because you know there's only so many people that you can put in a detention facility and deport. And once those people are deported, what happens to that facility? And we have to think beyond that."

Juan Pablo Granados lives in Braselton, about 20 minutes away from the proposed site. As a Mexican immigrant working to obtain his U.S. citizenship, he sees both sides of the immigration issue.  

"I know you know they're trying to keep the borders clean and safe, but the Bible says you gotta do things right," Granados said. "Loving, you know? The love way, and I feel like that's the part they're missing."

Oakwood resident Billy Skelton is hoping the facility will move forward.

"As far as it being paused, no, they gotta make it happen," Skelton said.

On Wednesday, DHS told CBS Atlanta, "As with any transition, we are reviewing agency policies and proposals."

The agency also referred to a quote from Secretary Markwayne Mullin's confirmation hearing in which he said: "I will work with the community leaders and make sure that we are delivering for the American people what the President set out… We want to work with community leaders. We want to be good partners.'"