The federal government recently purchased a warehouse in Salt Lake City which has led to protests from citizens who are concerned it will become a detention center for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The federal government purchased the warehouse for $145.4 million two weeks ago, and plan to convert it into a large detention center. The potential detention center has sparked strong local opposition.
On March 18th, about 500 people held a protest at the proposed site. Three people were arrested on suspicion of rioting and property damage, including two minors. Graffiti appeared on the building’s exterior, including ‘Kill all Nazis’ and a swastika crossed out in a red circle.
Gov. Spencer Cox disclosed at a PBS Utah press conference on March 19 that he, along with the entire Utah Republican congressional delegation and local officials, were informed of the transaction only after it was completed.
“We were not given any notice when the sale went through,” Cox said. “I think that’s a little frustrating for everyone.”
Although Cox said that Utah has long needed its own detention facility, the nearest one in Nevada is often full and transporting inmates there is difficult, the governor neither supported nor criticized the plan, saying he was working to gather more details.
“I think we need a facility. If this is the right facility, I’m not sure,” he said.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall has taken an opposing stance, vowing to prevent the facility from opening. In an open letter to the acting director of ICE, she stated that the property and the surrounding industrial area could not accommodate such a large detention center and requested a meeting to obtain more information.
ICE informed KSL that the facility would “fully comply with regular detention standards,” and promised that its construction and operation would create nearly 10,000 jobs, contribute $1.1 billion to the gross domestic product and generate over $238.7 million in tax revenue. Some Salt Lake City officials and immigration experts expressed doubts about these precise figures as ICE did not explain the prediction method.
Author: Fangqi Zhou
Photo: Spenser Heaps, Utah News Dispatch
Editor: Hannah Clove
news@suunews.net
