Resolution Introduced Urging Accountability for Federal Immigration Detention Facilities

Sen. RaShaun Kemp (D–Atlanta) recently introduced Senate Resolution 810 to emphasize the importance of transparency, community engagement, environmental stewardship and congressional oversight related to the proposed development or expansion of federal immigration detention facilities in Georgia. This measure aims to build on the federal efforts of U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), who filed an amendment that would block the purchase of warehouses to be used as detention centers in Social Circle and Oakwood, Georgia.

“Communities across Georgia are demanding dignity, fairness and openness in the face of policies that have too often led to the unjust treatment of immigrant families,” said Sen. Kemp. “If the federal government is considering the development or expansion of detention facilities in our state, those decisions should be made openly, with meaningful community engagement and proper oversight. Projects of this magnitude should never move forward in a way that leaves residents feeling powerless while life-altering decisions are made behind closed doors.

While the federal government has authority over immigration policy, that authority does not negate the responsibility to provide clear information and collaborate with impacted communities. Georgia families deserve to know what is happening in their neighborhoods, and transparency and accountability are essential to building trust between residents and government at every level.”

SR 810 is assigned to the Senate Committee on Public Safety, where it awaits further deliberation.

More information on this resolution can be found here.

Social Circle, GA – U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) joined local leaders in voicing opposition to the Trump Administration’s efforts to open an ICE detention facility that would severely strain local resources with no plan for federal support alleviating the anticipated harms. The Senator’s visit came after local leaders were blindsided by the Trump Administration’s decision to bring a new ICE detention facility to the community, and follows his efforts to block the purchase of warehouses that will serve as detention centers.

Senator Warnock met with local leaders who have said they do not have the infrastructure to support the facility, including Social Circle Mayor David Keener and City Manager Eric Taylor. Taylor said that the city is only permitted to use one million gallons of water per day. During the hottest temperatures, he said that 80 to 90 percent of the allotted amount is used with the city’s current population of 5,000. He added that the sewer system is operating at a capacity of 660,000 gallons per day, far more than the expected additional one million gallons per day needed for the site.

“Folks in Social Circle voted for this president overwhelmingly,” said Senator Warnock. “But here’s what they didn’t vote for — they didn’t vote for a 10,000-person detention center that will triple the size of their town, to place a massive detention center next to an elementary school. They didn’t vote for potential ‘boil water’ advisories or sewer overflows because this administration has overstrained their city’s resources. They didn’t vote for their voices to be unheard and trampled by their own federal government.”

During his visit, Senator Warnock surveyed Social Circle’s drinking water treatment site and wastewater treatment site. The Senator also visited Social Circle Elementary School where he met with concerned parents and the superintendent. He concluded his tour of the city at the site of a one-million-square-foot warehouse on East Hightower Trail where Homeland Security plans to house as many as 10,000 detainees beginning as early as April. ICE purchased the warehouse and surrounding 235 acres in February for $128 million.