Immigration and Customs Enforcement has halted plans to build a new facility in Salt Lake City after opposition from progressives and some Republicans, according to a Washington Examiner report published August 20. The agency previously acquired a $145 million warehouse near Salt Lake City International Airport in March with the intention of converting it into a detention center.
In court filings on Wednesday, ICE stated that the Trump administration no longer intends to build the facility. ICE and Salt Lake City attorneys requested that U.S. District Court Judge Jill Parrish pause the lawsuit regarding the proposed center. The agency indicated it no longer intends to convert the Salt Lake facility into an immigration detention facility and will instead designate the building as excess property for disposition, which means the federal government will look to transfer or sell the property.
The proposal had faced significant opposition, including a lawsuit from the city in June and intense demonstrations. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall argued the facility would take an enormous toll on local infrastructure.
